NYC Cooling-Tower Checks Lag as Legionella Outbreak Expands in Manhattan

New York City's cooling-tower inspections and required Legionella tests have risen only modestly since last year’s near-record lows, even as a new Legionnaires’ disease cluster takes hold in Manhattan. Data show thousands of towers remain uninspected or without test records in 2026, and about half of outbreak-area towers went more than a year without city inspection. The health department has added staff and enacted a 31-day testing mandate (effective May 8), but compliance remains uneven as officials focus inspections on affected blocks during a heat wave that increases Legionella risk.