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Hot Water Returns to Bronx Building Where City Found Legionella

By Eddie Small | September 4, 2015 10:49am | Updated on September 7, 2015 8:22pm
 NYCHA has finished installing filters on the faucets and shower heads of all 109 apartments at 681 Courtlandt Ave., the agency said.
NYCHA has finished installing filters on the faucets and shower heads of all 109 apartments at 681 Courtlandt Ave., the agency said.
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NYCHA

MELROSE — Hot water has returned for residents of the Melrose Houses building where the city found bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease.

NYCHA installed filters to the faucets and shower heads in all 109 apartments at 681 Courtlandt Ave., the site where Legionella was found, and restored hot water to the building at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, according to the agency.

The filters look like Brita filters and physically screen out Legionella bacteria and other particulate matter, and building residents can safely drink, shower and bathe with both hot and cold city water, NYCHA said.

The agency also installed and activated a water ionization system at the building on Thursday evening as a long-term solution to its problem with Legionella bacteria. The system treats water at the building by releasing ions that are harmless to people but kill the bacteria that causes Legionnaire's disease.

Because the bacteria is found in warm water, NYCHA turned off the hot water at 681 Courtlandt Ave. on Wednesday while it obtained and installed the filters.

Two other buildings at the Melrose Houses have tested negative for Legionella so far, and results are outstanding for five other buildings.

NYCHA has purchased additional filters in case any of the remaining buildings test positive and expects to have results for them soon.

The city declared an end to its worst ever outbreak of Legionnaires' disease on Aug. 20, but Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday that this latest case could still be linked to that outbreak, which killed 12 and sickened more than 120 people.