Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Residents of Haven Plaza in East Village have been unable to use showers since mid-May due to Legionella bacteria in their water system, with remediation delayed for over two months. The Department of Health acted swiftly in a deadly Upper East Side Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, contrasting with its slower response to Haven Plaza, which has seen two cases but no deaths.

Four Upper East Side buildings with live Legionella bacteria were not following city laws requiring monthly testing of cooling systems. The health department found 50 buildings in specific zip codes with positive Legionella results, including four non-compliant buildings. Staffing shortages in the health department have complicated efforts to address the outbreak, which has sickened 84 people and caused five deaths.

Over 500 cooling towers in Manhattan have not submitted required monthly Legionella tests, raising risks of outbreaks. Recent cases in Upper East Side and Carnegie Hill sickened 60 New Yorkers, prompting calls for stricter compliance and disinfection measures.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order to expand heat-safety protections for city workers, including multilingual guidance and prevention plans, but the measure does not immediately enforce similar standards for private-sector employers. The Health Department's 2026 report highlighted rising heat-related deaths, with 8% of heat-stress deaths linked to work.

In 2025, 21 New Yorkers died directly from heat, the highest number in a decade, with most deaths occurring on days with temperatures between 82 and 94 degrees. Vulnerable groups included those aged 60 or older, Black or Latino residents, and individuals in poverty, while 490 annual deaths are linked to heat exacerbating conditions like heart disease.