CITY COLLEGE–About six weeks ago, officials at the City College of New York reported that the cooling tower located at the Marshak Science Building tested positive for the presence of Legionella bacteria. Legionella bacteria—spread to humans through inhaling mist from contaminated water sources—develops into Legionella’s disease, a severe form of pneumonia.
According to CCNY officials, the cooling tower system was cleaned and disinfected in compliance with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene regulations, testing negative for Legionella bacteria just twelve days after the initial outbreak.
“We will continue to conduct routine inspections, cleaning, disinfection, and water sampling of all cooling towers to ensure compliance with the [New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene],” CCNY officials reported in the campus-wide email. However, this statement did little to ease frustration among the student body, who view the test result as reflective of CCNY’s broader institutional neglect.
