Have you ever walked past a large building and felt droplets of water falling on you? This mist is from a cooling tower; or large air-conditioning unit atop the building. What you may not be aware of is that this mist may contain a bacteria known as Legionella; the agent responsible for causing Legionnaires’ Disease.

Recently, there has been an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in New York city and the source of the outbreaks is being linked to 5 cooling towers located in the South Bronx region. Although, cooling towers are one of the main sites where the bacteria can be found; Legionella is ubiquitous in fresh water environments. That is it is found everywhere in the environment — in warm water.

Where Legionella is Commonly Found

Fresh water environments: lakes, ponds, wet soil

Artificial water systems: cooling towers, whirlpool spas, decorative fountains Continue reading →