New York has enacted new certification requirements for building cooling towers, days after a Legionnaires' disease outbreak on Manhattan's Upper East Side that killed seven people and hospitalized 79. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legislation requiring owners and operators of New York City cooling towers to certify that the equipment has been inspected, tested, cleaned, and disinfected in compliance with the city administrative code.
The measure sets timelines that did not previously exist. Building owners must address maintenance deficiencies as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours, and must notify the city Department of Buildings and address levels of microbes that present a serious health threat as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours. Certifications are required twice a year, in January and July. Civil penalties rise to $2,500 for a first violation, $7,000 for a second or subsequent violation, and up to $12,500 for a violation that results in a fatality or serious injury.
