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Council member introduces bill to strengthen cooling tower inspection schedule after Legionnaires cluster
Summary
Council Member Shulman introduced Intro 13‑90 to require cooling tower testing and inspection at least every 30 days during operation and more frequently during heat emergencies, in response to a recent Legionnaires disease cluster; the measure was introduced in general discussion and will move to committee.
Council Member Shulman used the general discussion period to introduce legislation, Intro 13‑90, to strengthen inspection requirements for building cooling towers after the city experienced a cluster of Legionnaires disease cases.
Shulman told colleagues that the city had its first major Legionnaires disease cluster in about 10 years and that cooling towers — where Legionella bacteria can proliferate when maintenance lapses — were implicated. The proposed bill would require building owners to test and inspect cooling towers at least every 30 days during periods of operation and more frequently during extreme heat events when cooling towers are used heavily. The goal, sponsors said, is to prevent outbreaks before they occur by ensuring more regular testing and faster agency oversight during heat emergencies.
Shulman, chair of the Council’s Committee on Health, said he would work with the administration to advance the legislation and that the committee would move the bill through the legislative process. The transcript records the introduction in general discussion; it does not record a committee referral number or a vote on the measure at the stated meeting.
If advanced, the bill would require coordination between the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and building owners to set testing standards and enforcement protocols; the transcript does not include details on enforcement penalties, sampling protocols or cost estimates for owners.
