Urgent Call for Cooling Tower Disinfection Amid Legionnaires’ Outbreak

City Council President Julie Menin is urging the administration of Mayor Mamdani to mandate that building owners on the Upper East Side disinfect their cooling towers to help curb the spread of Legionnaires’ disease. This serious health issue has already affected at least 36 people across two hotspots in Manhattan.

On Wednesday, Menin reached out to the city’s health commissioner, Dr. Alistair Martin, requesting an emergency order for cleaning the cooling towers in both Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, as health officials work to trace the source of the outbreak.

“We are extremely concerned that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has not yet required building owners to proactively disinfect all cooling towers within the study area,” Menin expressed in her letter.

As of Wednesday evening, reports indicated that there were 36 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease, with 22 individuals hospitalized, according to the health department’s dashboard.

“Every day, more of our neighbors are becoming ill with Legionnaires’ disease. This request is increasingly urgent given our region has one of the most densely populated ZIP codes in the nation, particularly among older adults who are particularly vulnerable to this illness,” Menin added.

Menin had met with Health Commissioner Martin at City Hall on Tuesday to discuss the outbreak with community members from St. Ignatius Loyola Church.

The health department indicated that Menin’s request was currently “under consideration.”

In the meantime, a ministry spokesperson noted that since July 2, inspectors have been actively identifying cooling towers that tested positive for Legionella bacteria, directing those buildings to undergo disinfection.

“We identified this cluster early and acted quickly to notify New Yorkers,” the spokesperson stated.

Legionnaires’ disease is a pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which thrive in warm water. Symptoms often resemble flu-like discomfort and, if left untreated, can escalate to serious complications or even death.

Exposure occurs through inhaling water vapor or mist that contains the bacteria. Most people exposed do not become ill; illness is more likely after heavy exposure, especially in high-risk groups like the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

Importantly, Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious and does not spread between individuals or through drinking water or air conditioning.

The agency reaffirmed, “The bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease cannot be spread by cold air from air conditioners.”

Last summer, there was an outbreak in Harlem where 114 individuals were confirmed to have Legionnaires’ disease, resulting in seven fatalities.