Upper West Side building independently finds Legionella bacteria in hot water system
UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- It is hard to sit at home on a summer Saturday on the Upper East Side, but when the count for Legionnaires' Disease is rising, there are some who are spending less time outside.
"We heard it was right across the street from my living room - the gap in the Equinox building. So I've been closing the windows. It's my understanding they've remedied it. But I'm not taking any chances," said one resident.
The city's Department of Health ordered 31 buildings to drain and disinfect their cooling towers after testing positive for Legionella bacteria. The remaining 12 buildings on that list had to be disinfected by Saturday.
See full list of addresses below.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin responded by writing,
"While these are critical steps in getting this outbreak under control, I have many concerns over the handling of this cluster in our district. By not immediately ordering all towers to be disinfected, as I had advocated for from the beginning of this outbreak, it's very possible that more residents have become sick than would have otherwise."
The Health Commissioner says as soon as the department learned about the outbreak on July 2, it surged resources, testing more than 180 cooling towers. For the 31 that tested positive, they did not wait for a confirmed bacterial culture; they ordered disinfection immediately.
"We are taking the most aggressive stance the health department and city has ever taken by acting aggressively at the PCR stage in ordering the full drainage, cleaning and disinfection of those cooling towers," the Health Commissioner said.
This has spurred the owners of a building on the Upper West Side, not linked to the current outbreak, to test on their own. The Ardsley on Central Park West found the Legionella bacteria in their hot water system and will remedy on their own accord.
"Unless it gets really horrendous, which I hope it doesn't, we will keep living and enjoying our wonderful city," said Nancy.
The Health Department is still trying to narrow down the origin of which cooling tower caused the outbreak on the Upper East Side.
List of addresses with positive initial PCR screening results:
FULL REMEDIATION COMPLETE:
- 180 East End Ave.
- 1750 York Ave.
- 1660 Second Ave
- 1438 Third Ave.
- 1511 Third Ave.
- 1551 Third Ave.
- 1071 Fifth Ave.
- 1080 Fifth Ave.
- 1001 Fifth Ave.
- 240 E. 82nd St.
- 8 E. 83rd St.
- 145 E. 84th St.
- 117 E. 85th St.
- 125 E. 87th St.
- 152 E. 87th St.
- 120 E. 87th St.
- 501 E. 87th St.
- 168 E. 88th St.
- 160 E. 88th St.
CLEANING PENDING: Ordered to remediate by 7/11/26
- 1875 Second Ave.
- 1110 Fifth Ave.
- 153 E. 78th St.
- 135 E. 79th St.
- 300 E. 79th St.
- 238 E. 81st St.
- 160 E. 84th St.
- 114 E. 85th St.
- 401 E. 88th St.
- 333 E. 91st St.
- 354 E. 91st St.
- 312 E. 95th St.
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