In the wake of a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Central Harlem last summer, New York City is taking proactive measures to prevent future tragedies. The city has significantly bolstered its efforts to combat this deadly bacteria, with a focus on cooling towers, which can be breeding grounds for Legionella.
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has more than doubled its cooling tower inspector workforce, hiring an additional 30 inspectors since last year's outbreak. This move comes as the city prepares for the upcoming summer season, a time when the risk of Legionnaires' disease is heightened due to the operation of cooling towers.
"As the summer approaches, we are committed to utilizing every resource at our disposal to monitor and mitigate the risk of Legionella bacteria," said Yume Kitasei, Commissioner for the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. This sentiment is echoed by City Councilmember Lynn Schulman, who chairs the health committee and emphasizes the need for stringent regulations and enforcement to prevent outbreaks.
One key aspect of the city's strategy is more frequent testing of cooling towers. A new law requires building owners to test their water systems for Legionella bacteria every 31 days, a significant increase from the previous quarterly testing requirement. This move is a direct response to the Central Harlem outbreak, which sickened 118 people, hospitalized 92, and resulted in seven fatalities.
The health department's investigation into the outbreak traced the source to two cooling towers atop city-owned buildings. One was a construction site for a public health lab, managed by Skanska, which failed to register the tower and conduct required testing and monitoring. The other was located on Harlem Hospital, where staff had neglected to follow their own cooling tower management plan, failing to conduct weekly rapid testing in the months leading up to the outbreak.
While these measures are a step in the right direction, some experts argue that the city's focus should extend beyond cooling towers. April McIver, Executive Director of the Plumbing Foundation, an advocacy group for water and gas professionals, believes that plumbing systems must also be more strictly regulated. McIver highlights an incident in January, where residents of a Harlem housing complex were advised to use buckets and hoses for bathing after two residents contracted Legionnaires' from the building's internal water system.
"The only way to better protect New Yorkers is to regulate plumbing systems more rigorously," McIver said. "Until that happens, we can expect to see more tragedies related to this dangerous disease."
As the city continues to navigate the complex landscape of Legionnaires' disease prevention, it is clear that a multi-faceted approach is needed. While cooling tower inspections and testing are crucial, a broader perspective on water systems and their potential risks is essential to ensuring the safety and well-being of New Yorkers.
