South Bronx hospital adopts new anti-microbial cooling tower technology to stave off Legionnaires' Disease
NEW YORK — In New York City, a series of deadly outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease has become an all too common occurrence. Over the last few years — including the most recent events this summer in Manhattan — hundreds have been severely sickened and dozens killed by deadly bacteria that proliferates in water systems like the cooling towers used in conjunction with large HVAC systems.
So, when a cooling tower supporting the HVAC system at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln was nearing its expected end of life, the management of the 362-bed hospital in the South Bronx saw an opportunity. The year before, the neighboring community had experienced outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease, and even though the hospital’s cooling towers played no role in those outbreaks, the chance to increase protections against possible future exposures of the bacteria that cause the disease was an important consideration.