Legionnaires Disease’ Outbreak in New York City
Recently, New York City officials confirmed multiple deaths and more than a hundred cases of Legionnaires’ disease in Central Harlem. The outbreak was traced back to contaminated cooling towers, where Legionella bacteria thrive in warm water. Public health teams have worked quickly to disinfect those systems, but the outbreak is a sobering reminder that waterborne bacteria are a real and ongoing threat.
At MyPureWater, we believe every outbreak tells a larger story—one that goes beyond cooling towers and city infrastructure. It’s a story about the water we use every single day, not just for drinking, but for cooking, washing produce, making ice, and more. And it’s a story about why distilled water is such an important safeguard.
What is Legionnaires’ Disease?
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling tiny droplets of water that contain Legionella bacteria. These droplets can come from showers, faucets, fountains, or even mist blowing from cooling towers. Once inhaled, the bacteria settle in the lungs and can cause coughing, fever, headaches, and difficulty breathing.
While healthy people sometimes recover without complications, the disease can be deadly, especially for older adults and those with weakened immune systems. According to the CDC, thousands of cases occur in the U.S. each year, and many outbreaks go under-reported.
How Do You Get Legionnaires?
The most common way people get Legionnaires’ is by breathing in contaminated water vapor. That might sound like a distant concern—until you realize how often you are exposed to water mist. A morning shower, boiling pot steam, or tap running can release microscopic droplets.
Importantly, Legionella can also enter municipal water supplies and spread into homes. Once there, it can grow inside water heaters, pipes, and showerheads. That means the water flowing from your kitchen or bathroom faucet is not automatically safe.
Why This Outbreak Hits Home
Every time there’s a Legionnaires’ outbreak, whether in New York, the Bronx, Philadelphia, or Flint, Michigan, the pattern is the same: water systems fail, people get sick, and trust in water safety is shaken.
This is not just a problem for cities and hospitals. At home, we all rely on water for far more than drinking. We rinse fruits and vegetables in it. We cook rice, pasta, and soup with it. We make coffee, tea, and ice cubes with it. If the water is compromised, these daily routines can become risky.
How to Remove Legionella from Drinking Water
So what’s the solution at home? How do you protect your family from bacteria that you can’t see, smell, or taste?
Boiling is one option—heat kills Legionella—but boiling every ounce of water you need is time-consuming and impractical. Filtration is another option, but most household filters are designed to remove chlorine, sediment, or improve taste. Very few can reliably stop bacteria, and poorly maintained filters can even become breeding grounds for microbes.
This is where distillation is different. Distillation doesn’t rely on fragile filters or chemicals. Instead, it harnesses one of nature’s most reliable processes: evaporation and condensation.
What is Distillation?
Distillation mimics the natural hydrologic cycle—the way the sun heats water from lakes and oceans, turns it into vapor, and leaves impurities behind. That vapor eventually cools and returns as rain.
A water distiller does the same thing in your home. It heats water until it becomes steam, leaving bacteria, metals, and chemicals behind. The steam is then cooled and condensed back into pure water. Because Legionella cannot survive the boiling stage, distillation is one of the most effective ways to remove it from drinking water.
The result is water you can trust—clean, fresh, and safe.
Everyday Uses of Distilled Water
It’s easy to think of distilled water as something just for drinking, but its value goes far beyond a glass on the table. Using distilled water for all food-related activities dramatically reduces your family’s exposure to contaminants.
- Wash fruits and vegetables in distilled water. Produce rinsed in contaminated tap water can reintroduce bacteria right before you eat.
- Cook with distilled water. Soups, rice, pasta, and coffee all absorb the water they’re cooked in. Start with clean water.
- Make ice with distilled water. Freezing doesn’t kill Legionella or other microbes—only distillation does.
- Use distilled water for baby formula. Infants are especially vulnerable to contaminants, so purity here is critical.
- Hygiene matters, too. Brushing teeth, rinsing mouthguards, or cleaning water bottles are all safer with distilled water.
When you think about it, water touches almost everything you eat and drink. That’s why using distilled water isn’t just about hydration—it’s about protecting every part of your diet and lifestyle.
Past Outbreaks That Changed Awareness
The Central Harlem outbreak is only the latest. In 2015, the Bronx saw 12 deaths and more than 120 infections tied to a hotel cooling tower. In 1976, the very first known outbreak occurred at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia, giving the disease its name. During the Flint water crisis, dozens of Legionnaires’ cases were reported, highlighting how fragile public systems can be.
These outbreaks share a common lesson: water safety can never be taken for granted.
Why Distillation is the Smart Choice
Cities and governments will continue working on infrastructure and large-scale water treatment. But at the household level, you don’t have to wait. A high-quality water distiller puts control back in your hands.
Distillation is not about paranoia—it’s about peace of mind. Just as you wouldn’t serve uncooked chicken or leave food unrefrigerated, you shouldn’t drink or cook with water that hasn’t been properly purified. With a distiller, you know your water is safe every single time.
Emergency Preparedness
When unexpected water crises happen—whether from a Legionnaires’ outbreak, boil-water advisories, or storm-related contamination—having a reliable backup supply of safe water is critical. Our automatic water distillers produce multiple gallons of pure water every day and store it in stainless steel holding tanks, so you always have clean water ready when you need it. While distilled water is perfect for drinking, cooking, and washing produce, it can also serve as a backup for hygiene or bathing in emergencies. Simply heat the stored distilled water, and you’ll have a clean, dependable source even when your local supply isn’t safe.
A Safer Path Forward
The Legionnaires’ outbreak in New York City is tragic, and it is a powerful reminder. Bacteria thrive in water systems, and outbreaks can happen anywhere. While city officials work to fix cooling towers and plumbing, families can take a proactive step: make sure the water at home is pure.
Distilled water provides the highest level of protection against bacteria like Legionella—not just in your drinking glass, but in your meals, your produce, your ice, and your daily routines.
We believe that clean water isn’t optional—it’s essential. Distillation is the safest, most natural way to guarantee it.
Leave a Reply