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NYC Bill: Faster Legionella Reporting to Save Lives
19 Oct
Summary
- New bill requires building owners to report Legionella sooner.
- Legislation aims to prevent outbreaks before people get sick.
- Over 100 New Yorkers sickened, 13 died from Legionnaires' disease.
New York City legislators will consider a new bill on Monday that would compel building owners to report Legionella bacteria more promptly. This measure seeks to preempt future outbreaks by enabling quicker intervention from health officials.
Currently, building owners must test cooling towers for Legionella. The proposed legislation, introduced by Council Member Lynn Schulman, would lower the threshold for reporting, demanding action at lower bacteria levels than before.
This push for stricter regulations follows a severe outbreak on the Upper East Side in July, which resulted in 94 illnesses and 11 fatalities. Investigations found Legionella in a significant number of tested cooling towers.
Further clusters emerged in the Bronx in late August and September, leading to at least 23 cases and two deaths. Two additional cases were also identified in early October at North Shore Towers in Queens, where the investigation focused on the hot water system.
The City Council's health committee is scheduled to discuss this vital bill at 10 a.m.
