Legionella Bacteria Found In NYC Apartment Water System

NEW YORK, NY— City health officials confirmed Legionella bacteria in the water system at Haven Plaza, a five-building apartment complex in the East Village serving 371 units, after testing followed reports of Legionnaires’ disease among residents.

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene notified tenants last month of two confirmed Legionnaires’ cases linked to 1 Haven Plaza. At least two residents in the complex have contracted the disease in the past year.

Councilmember Harvey Epstein said he was told a third resident had tested positive in recent weeks, but the health department said it has no report confirming an additional case.

Residents said they had not received official notification of the test results as of late Tuesday.

“We are still waiting for official notice of the test results," Dana Cruz, president of the Haven Plaza tenant association, said. “There seems to be no sense of urgency to notify the tenants that are actually at risk of illness. It seems everyone else, including the media, knew of the water contamination results while tenants are just learning of the dire situation.”

City health officials said the risk remains low for most residents.

William Fowler, a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene spokesperson, said the risk of getting sick from a building’s water system is very low, especially for healthy people.

"As part of our evaluation, we worked with building management to promptly test the buildings’ water system, and the test results have confirmed the presence of Legionella bacteria," Fowler said.

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which spreads through inhaled water vapor rather than drinking water.

Building managers Catholic Homes, an affiliate of the Archdiocese, and Wavecrest Management said they are working with the health department and have retained outside consultants to address the issue.