Information on the 5 ZIP codes impacted by New York City's Legionnaires' disease outbreak
In the heart of New York City, a concerning trend has emerged regarding the inspection of cooling towers in five specific ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039. These areas, which encompass neighbourhoods such as Morningside Heights, Manhattanville, Central Harlem, and others, have seen a decrease in cooling tower inspections since the tenure of Mayor Eric Adams began.
The drop in inspections citywide has been significant, with the number plummeting during the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing to decline since Mayor Adams took office. In 2017, there were 5,095 cooling tower inspections citywide, a figure that has dropped to 4,443 by 2022. This year, the city is set to inspect less than half of the towers it did at the start of Adams' administration, with the first four months of 2025 indicating that inspections will only reach about a quarter of the number of towers inspected in 2021 in the affected ZIP codes.
The health department has not responded to questions about whether increased testing could have prevented the current outbreak. Meanwhile, more recent data on inspections in the affected ZIP codes is not yet available.
The potential risks associated with this decrease in inspections are highlighted by the presence of Legionella bacteria in 11 buildings within the affected areas. Legionella bacteria can form in the cooling towers atop buildings and spread through the air, posing a significant health risk to those living and working nearby.
In 2021, a record number of towers (exactly 100) were inspected in the affected ZIP codes. However, the number of cooling towers in these areas is 97, with ZIP code 10027, which contains Morningside Heights, Manhattanville, and Central Harlem, having 50 cooling towers.
The city has identified these five ZIP codes as the areas where people are most at risk, with sites that house cooling towers sensitive to Legionella bacteria requiring strict maintenance and monitoring to prevent outbreaks. Sites in Central Harlem, New York, known to be contaminated with Legionella pneumophila, are among these. These systems are subject to regulations such as the 42nd Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act in Germany to ensure their safety.
As the city continues to grapple with the implications of reduced inspections, the importance of maintaining a vigilant approach to cooling tower safety and testing cannot be overstated.
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