Int. No. 166

By Council Members Farías, Sanchez, Schulman, Bottcher and Hudson

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring building owners to provide shower hoses and informational materials on Legionnaires’ disease to tenants

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-194.2 to read as follows:

§ 17-194.2 Building owner response to a confirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease. a. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Building water system. The term “building water system” means shared water sources that distribute water throughout residential buildings with multiple dwelling units such as cooling towers, water tanks and other plumbing equipment.

Confirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease. The term “confirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease” means a person diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease that is a tenant in a covered building.

Covered building. The term “covered building” means a residential building whose tenants receive water from a building water system.

Dwelling unit. The term “dwelling unit” has the meaning ascribed to such term by subchapter 1 of the housing maintenance code.

Shower hose. The term “shower hose” means a flexible tube that can be attached to most shower fixtures and provides a steady stream of water.

b. Confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in covered buildings. 1. The department shall immediately notify the owner of a covered building when there is a confirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease in such building.

2. Within 24 hours of being notified of a confirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease, the owner of such covered building, and the owner of any building that shares a building water system with such covered building, shall:

(a) Provide a shower hose to each occupied dwelling unit in such building;

(b) Provide the notice required by subdivision c of this section to each occupied dwelling unit of such building; and

(c) Post the notice required by subdivision c of this section at the entrance of such building and in a conspicuous location on each floor of such building.

3. The shower hose and notices required to be provided by paragraph 2 of this subdivision shall be provided until a test of the building water system does not yield a positive Legionella culture result equal to or more than 50 CFU/ml for at least 30 days after the owner of the covered building was notified of a confirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease in such building.

c. Informational materials. No later than March 1, 2023, the department shall create and post on its website a notice that may be easily printed and distributed containing information on Legionnaires’ disease, including but not limited to how the disease may be contracted, the health risks associated with contracting the disease, increased risk factors for contracting the disease and ways to prevent contracting the disease. Such notice shall include a disclaimer that any shower hose provided by an owner of a covered building has not been proven to prevent contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 60 days after it becomes law.

Session 13

LS #9598

1/18/2024

Session 12

JEF

LS #9598

11/10/2022 3:00pm