Legionella Strikes East Village Complex Potable Water

Written by: Robert Bender, AFE Region 1 Vice President and Long Island Chapter President, on behalf of North America Water Technology, Inc..

Another Legionella Outbreak: Another Building. Another Reminder.

How many more outbreaks may occur before the underlying issue is addressed? The challenge isn't simply the presence of Legionella bacteria—it's the biofilm that protects it.

Health officials confirmed the presence of Legionella bacteria in the water system at an East Village residential complex in New York, after two residents were diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease. As of July 31, 2026, seven (7) people have died from Legionella's disease in connection with the Legionella clusters in new York.¹

Unfortunately, this is becoming a familiar story.

When Legionella is detected, the standard response is typically:
- Chemical disinfection
- System flushing
- Mechanical cleaning
- Follow-up testing

There is a challenge though.

From my many conversations with water treatment professionals and chemical manufacturers, one point comes up repeatedly— Chemicals alone cannot reliably eliminate biofilms throughout an entire water system.
Biofilms provide a protective environment where Legionella bacteria can survive and later recolonize the system, making long-term control difficult.

What if you could address the problem before it becomes a health crisis?

The NAWT Collar is a non-chemical water treatment technology designed to disrupt the formation of biofilms, scale, and corrosion throughout water systems.

✅No chemicals
✅No electricity
✅No magnets
✅No maintenance
✅Simple external installation in minutes

By helping prevent biofilm formation, facilities can reduce one of the environments where Legionella bacteria are known to persist. For building owners, hospitals, schools, hotels, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities, prevention is always less expensive than remediation— and far less costly than litigation.