City Council to review Legionnaires’ response as NYC rolls out new measures
ByJaysha Patel
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 8:36AM
Stream New York’s #1 news – AccuWeather – original content 24/7
UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) –New York City officials announced a series of new measures aimed at strengthening the city’s response to Legionnaires’ disease ahead of a City Council hearing this week that will examine the city’s handling of the outbreak
The mayor’s office said the city plans to improve oversight of cooling towers, which can harbor the Legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia spread through contaminated water mist or vapor
Under the plan, the Department of Health will work with the Department of Buildings to strengthen cooling tower registration and permit-tracking systems and identify potentially unregistered cooling towers
Officials also plan to expand the city’s online cooling tower lookup tool with a new citywide mapping feature that will allow New Yorkers to view registered cooling towers across all five boroughs. The feature is expected to launch by next spring
The administration is also exploring faster testing methods for Legionella bacteria, accelerated enforcement of cooling tower violations and the creation of a scientific advisory panel to study cooling tower technology and alternative cooling systems
As of Saturday, health officials reported 94 cases associated with the recent Legionnaires’ cluster. No patients remain hospitalized, though 11 people have died. Officials have not identified the
The announcement comes a day before a City Council hearing at City Hall, where council members are expected to question city officials about the response and ongoing efforts to prevent future cases
*Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More Manhattan news
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts on the go
*Download our connected TV app
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply
Report a correction or typo
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
