New York State
NYS Regulation: Subpart 5-1 – Public Water Supplies
NYS Regulation: Protection Against Legionella
All owners of cooling towers in New York State are required to register, maintain, sample, disinfect and notify local health departments and the public of elevated levels of Legionella.
All covered Healthcare Facilities in New York State are required to perform an environmental assessment of the facility, implement a Legionella culture sampling and management plan for their potable water systems.
Legionella culture analyses must be performed by a laboratory that is approved to perform such analysis by the New York State Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP).
New York City
NYC Cooling Tower Registration and Maintenance Requirements
All building owners in New York City are required to register, maintain, and test their cooling towers, fluid coolers, and evaporative condensers.
NYC Code – Supply of Hot Water
Buildings in New York City (that are not healthcare facilities) must supply hot water during certain hours at a minimum temperature of 120°F. Additional water temperature requirements apply to newly constructed or renovated showers.
NYC Health Code – Chemical Treatment of Building Drinking Water
NYCDOHMH – Order of the Commissioner
When a (non-healthcare) building in New York City is part of a Legionella case investigation, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will send the owner a letter called “Order of the Commissioner”. The initial requirements include comprehensive testing of water samples for Legionella.
ASHRAE Guideline 12-2020 – Managing the Risk of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2018 – Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems
ASTM F838: Standard Test Method for Determining Bacterial Retention of Membrane Filters Utilized for Liquid Filtration
CDC: Free Training – Preventing Legionnaires’ Disease
The Joint Commission – New Water Management Requirements in Healthcare Facilities
The Joint Commission’s new water management requirements, which go into effect on January 1, 2021, do not mandate collection of environmental water samples for microbial testing. Consistent with ANSI/ASHRAE 188-2018 and CDC guidance, The Joint Commission’s defers to the judgement of the facility’s water management team on when, how and where to test and for which pathogens.
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