Haven Plaza Legionella Outbreak Forces NYC Tenants to Skip Showers

Legionella bacteria was confirmed in the water system of Haven Plaza, a five‑building, rent‑stabilized complex in Manhattan’s East Village. Two residents have contracted Legionnaires’ disease – the first case reported in December and a second in May – leading the New York City Health Department to advise tenants to avoid showering and using hot water for the summer.

Tenants, led by association president Dara Cruz, staged a rally with city officials demanding urgent action. Management firms Catholic Home of New York and Wavecrest Management said they have begun a water‑treatment plan that includes disinfection of the system, noting city guidelines require testing after two cases within a year. City health officials have held multiple meetings, posted guidance, and dispatched the department’s commissioner to the site. The outbreak is being treated as separate from a larger Legionella cluster on the Upper East Side that has caused several deaths.