NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Drinking water at the Jacob Riis Houses tested positive for legionella, the deadly bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, less than a week after testing positive for arsenic, Mayor Eric Adams said on Thursday.
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NYCHA first acknowledged the positive arsenic test at East Village public housing complex on Sept. 2.
The news outlet The City reported NYCHA officials knew about the contamination for two weeks before it alerted the public, though the housing authority denied this claim.
Adams said subsequent tests have all come back negative for arsenic.
“City Hall was notified on Friday, and we immediately kicked into gear to make sure that we can give NYCHA residents water for drinking water,” said Adams at an unrelated press conference on Thursday. “We had a series of tests that took place over a hundred since then, and each one came back with untraceable amounts of arsenic.”
City officials continued to recommend tenants refrain from drinking the water “out of an overabundance of caution.”
In the meantime, the city is distributing bottled water to residents and has set up portable water fountains by the complex.
Tests at the apartments were first initiated when tenants complained of cloudy water.
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said NYCHA flushed the water system for cleaning.
"Our partners at NYCHA have taken steps since the initial reports of cloudy water to do sanitation and cleaning of the system. We've also flushed the system in that time as well,” said Vasan.
Despite the positive legionella test, Vasan said the Health Department won’t launch an investigation unless a Legionnaires’ case is reported at the complex.
“That is not how Legionella spreads, by ingestion of potable water. It is through aerosolized water, usually in cooling systems, ventilation systems, HVAC systems. So, this is a different water source,” said Vasan. “There are some questions about the sample itself which I know that NYCHA and others are looking into. But what we can say and what triggers the Department of Health to do investigations is concern of reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease. That's what triggers investigations.”
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams went to Jacob Riis on Thursday to help distribute supplies.
“Tenants at Jacob Riis Houses need relief, reassurance, and the administration to transparently, directly, and immediately address their questions and fears,” wrote Williams on Twitter. “Teams are on the ground providing safe water. Leadership should be on the ground providing answers and accountability.”
Dan Goldman, the winner of the high-profile Democratic primary for the New York district 10 House of Representatives race, was also at the scene.
“I joined tenant leaders at Jacob Riis Houses today to deliver food and call on the city to provide what tenants here have been asking for: one hot meal per day for every resident who has been told not to cook with potentially poisoned water,” he said. “It is the least the tenants deserve.”
Adams said residents will be able to use the water again when the city is absolutely sure it poses no risk to them.
“We want to be 100% sure, but we also want to be 100% transparent,” said the mayor. “As soon as that lab notified us that they saw those traces, we immediately notified the public. So when we are 100% comfortable that the water should be consumed by drinking, we will make that notification when we finish all the tests.”
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