Upper East Side Cooling Towers Reach 92% Legionella Compliance After 6 Deaths

3 articles · Updated · Gothamist · Jul 29

92% of the 183 Upper East Side cooling towers tested in the outbreak probe were complying with the city’s new Legionella reporting law by July 24, up from 74% on July 11.
97% of towers that initially tested positive are now compliant, and health officials said publishing building-level test results starting July 10 helped push operators to file required reports.
80% of cooling towers citywide are compliant, only slightly above 77% when the first public list was released, showing the outbreak-driven improvement was concentrated in the Upper East Side.
90 people have been sickened and six have died in the outbreak, which accelerated enforcement of a May 8 law requiring Legionella tests and database submissions every 31 days.
More than 630 inspections and 700 violations have followed since the law took effect, but staffing shortages persist and the City Council plans a September oversight hearing.

Sources

Gothamist23d ago

Upper East Side Cooling Towers Achieve 92% Legionella Compliance Post-Outbreak

WABC-TV23d ago

Legionnaires' outbreak: First death reported in connection to Upper East Side cluster; 67 cases total - ABC7 New York

NBC New York21d ago

Of all Upper East Side buildings to test positive for Legionella, this one had the most violations

10 Sources

Can NYC's strict 31-day testing rule prevent the next deadly outbreak if severe staffing shortages continue to cripple health inspections?

While public shaming fixed Upper East Side cooling towers, what hidden dangers lurk in the 20% of NYC buildings still ignoring the law?

With six dead and the exact source unconfirmed, could genetic sequencing reveal a completely unexpected origin for this deadly Legionnaires' outbreak?