Cooling towers could soon be tested as frequently as once a month if the New York City Council moves forward with a bill aimed at further mitigating the spread of the potentially lethal Legionnaires’ disease.

The bill comes after a recent outbreak in Harlem this summer that killed seven people and sickened 114. The health department was able to track the Harlem outbreak to two city buildings, one of which was Harlem Hospital.

The bill, sponsored by Councilmember Lynn Schulman from Queens, would stipulate that building owners perform a biocide treatment of each tower during warm weather, when growth of the Legionella bacteria is at its highest. Hundreds of cases of Legionnaires’ disease — a form of pneumonia spread by inhaling water droplets or mist containing Legionella, which can contaminate cooling towers — have been reported in New York City each year.

The number of inspections dropped to historic lows since Mayor Eric Adams took office as mayor in 2022, according to a recent Gothamist analysis. But the city has begun hiring more inspectors to safeguard its cooling towers since the most recent outbreak.

The Council’s health committee will meet on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. to discuss the new bill ahead of a stated meeting that same day, where it could go to a vote.