Photo: RICHARD A. BROOKS / AFP / Getty Images
The New York City Council is considering a new bill aimed at preventing Legionnaires' Disease after a deadly outbreak in Harlem this past summer. The proposed legislation requires monthly testing of cooling towers and mandates building owners to perform biocide treatments during warmer months when Legionella bacteria growth is most prevalent. The outbreak in Harlem resulted in seven deaths and 114 illnesses, with the source traced to cooling towers in two city buildings, including Harlem Hospital.
Councilmember Lynn Schulman from Queens sponsors the bill, which seeks to address the decline in inspections since Mayor Eric Adams took office in 2022. The city has begun hiring more inspectors to ensure the safety of cooling towers following the recent outbreak.
The Council's health committee is set to meet Thursday morning to discuss the bill, which could be voted on in the afternoon. This legislation comes as New York City reports hundreds of Legionnaires' Disease cases annually, a form of pneumonia spread by inhaling water droplets containing Legionella bacteria.
Photo Credit: Getty Images