A call for more rigorous inspections of cooling towers was made on Friday following a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Harlem, which resulted in more than 100 cases and seven deaths this year alone.

The matter was discussed during a City Council hearing in which health officials were held accountable for their role in the outbreak.

Lynn Schulman, chair of the Committee on Health, District 29, expressed frustration that it took an outbreak to trigger stronger enforcement measures.

"It should not have taken an outbreak to trigger greater enforcement," Schulman said during the hearing.

In 2015, following an outbreak in the South Bronx, a law was passed requiring buildings to test cooling towers for legionella bacteria every 90 days.

However, many buildings across the city are failing to meet this requirement.

Schulman pointed out that the number of cooling towers inspected has sharply declined in recent years.

"In 2017, more than 5,000 cooling towers were inspected. By 2024, that number had dropped to almost 3,000. This year, as of June, fewer than 1,000 inspections had been completed, said Schulman.

The Health Department responded by citing staffing shortages as the primary reason for the decline in inspections.

"We've had fewer inspectors in recent years. What we do with the resources we have is triage to make sure the cooling towers that are inspected are the ones that have had a history of challenges," said Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City's health commissioner.

However, this has left many underserved communities, such as Parkchester in the Bronx, vulnerable.

Parkchester has seen four cases of Legionnaires' disease in recent months, with some cooling towers in the area having gone untested since 2018.

Amanda Farias, majority leader from District 18, voiced her concerns about the disparities in testing.

"We're saying enough is enough, and we're going to start engaging differently with the hiring practices that they have to protect our communities of color, which we know need more regular testing. These communities often have older buildings and outdated systems," said Farias.

Farias introduced a bill during the meeting aimed at addressing the issue. One part of the bill calls for the emergency installation of shower hoses in apartment buildings to provide tenants with a safer option to shower in the event of an outbreak.

The second part of her bill seeks to ensure greater transparency between the Health Department, building management and residents to prevent future outbreaks.

The City Council hearing was a step toward pushing for stronger regulations and protections for New Yorkers, especially those in high-risk communities.