NYC lost health inspectors in years preceding Harlem Legionnaires' disease outbreak

New York City’s health department lost more than a third of its cooling tower inspectors in the three years leading up to the current deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease — despite a 30% boost in funding for the unit that conducts the inspections.

But the health department claims the steep drop in head count was not to blame for the recent outbreak, which has so far killed five people in Central Harlem, hospitalized another 14 people and sickened close to 100 residents in all.

“It would be wrong to say this unfortunate circumstance could have been prevented through more staff and inspections,” health department spokesperson Chantal Gomez said in an emailed statement. “There is always a possibility that the bacteria may grow rapidly, especially in warm weather.”

Gomez said the city aims to inspect all the cooling towers once a year. Gothamist previously reported that seven of the 10 buildings at the center of the outbreak — some of which are run directly by the city — had no inspections over the past year.

The staffing shortages and lapsed inspections are among the swirl of questions around Mayor Eric Adams’ handling of the outbreak and whether the city could have prevented it. The City Council is expected to hold an oversight hearing on the outbreak next month.

A Gothamist analysis found the city has been conducting fewer inspections of cooling towers since 2017. After a steep drop during the COVID-19 pandemic, cooling tower inspections rose again in 2022, but were on pace to drop to historic lows in the months preceding this year’s outbreak.

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How to know if my building's cooling tower has any recent health violations

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You can check the city health department's website to see if your building has a cooling tower and if any violations were recently found.

The health department initially cited a decline in staff as the reason for the lack of inspections. But according to the Independent Budget Office, the pool of money that funds cooling-tower inspectors was 30% bigger this year compared to 2022.

Gomez said the additional money went to the agency's other functions, but she didn’t specify which functions or how much money. The department currently has 24 water ecologists who inspect cooling towers — 13 fewer than in 2022. Despite the higher staffing numbers in 2022, the city had another outbreak of Legionnaires' disease at a Manhattan nursing home that year that also killed five people.

“There are clear procedures on inspection. … As soon as you identify Legionnaires’ is there, you're supposed to go in and make sure that you remediate the problem,” Adams said during a Tuesday press conference. “That's what we're doing within 24 hours.”

Cooling towers help circulate water as part of buildings’ heating and air conditioning systems but can become breeding grounds for Legionella bacteria, which sometimes causes Legionnaires' disease if inhaled through water vapor. The disease is a type of pneumonia that can cause fever, cough, muscle aches, confusion and other flu-like conditions, and city officials are warning people to be on the lookout for symptoms.

Last week, the health department released the 10 building addresses for the 12 cooling towers that officials said had tested positive for legionella. Nine of the buildings had towers that were either behind on required testing by owners or had not been inspected by the city in the past year, officials said.

Currently, there are 12 job openings for water ecologists, according to Gomez. She said the health department reduced the number of positions due to difficulties in recruiting.

According to the job postings, the positions require a master’s degree in science or engineering or a bachelor’s degree with relevant work experience. Candidates must also be able to climb ladders and work in tight spaces and high altitudes. Gomez said they must also undergo training and possess the required certifications, but she did not provide details.

This story has been updated to clarify the increase in funding for cooling tower inspectors.