Bob Bocock on source-to-tap water system approach and unfiltered water
Water treatment professional Bob Bocock presents independent sampling finding Legionella in 20% of Upper East Side building water fixtures. He argues cooling tower regulation alone is insufficient and calls for a comprehensive source-to-tap approach, noting NYC's unfiltered water status.
Thank you, Chair Coleman and members of the committee.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Bob, your mic.
Oh, I'm sorry.
There.
Is that on?
Thank you.
I'll start back with thank you, Chair Shulman and members of the committee.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
My name is Bob Bocock.
I am a licensed water treatment professional.
For over 40 years, I've had experience in water utilities and water resource management.
I was the state attorney general's expert witness in the Flint, Michigan case and work on water and water quality issues nationwide.
I am a volunteer to the board for the Alliance for Prevention of Legionnaires Disease as their water quality advisor.
First, I'd like to acknowledge the city's efforts in response to the Upper East Side outbreak, and our hearts go out to those who have been affected.
who have been impacted and lost family members.
As we look at what happened and the 94 cases and the 11 deaths associated with this outbreak, we need to ask a broader question.
How do we prevent Legionnaire's disease before an outbreak occurs?
Legionella is a waterborne organism.
And preventing the disease requires looking beyond an individual exposure point.
From my perspective as a water quality professional, we need to look at the entire water system from source through the public distribution system to building plumbing and the points
where the people are exposed rather than only treating one symptom of the underlying issues.
The city's current approach is focused exclusively on cooling towers.
Those systems are important, and they must be properly regulated and maintained.
But cooling tower regulation alone is not comprehensive Legionnaires disease prevention.
When found in the water, the Legionella in the tower is the same water that runs through the entire system, from the building, the municipal system, and serving the building's plumbing system.
The Alliance conducted independent sampling in mid-July on the Upper East Side community affected by the Legionnaires'disease outbreak.
That work found Legionella in multiple types of building water fixtures, including hose bibs outside closest to the water meter.
Over 20% of the samples
demonstrated very low chlorine residuals and high levels of Legionella.
Almost 20% of the samples'water systems in the Upper East Side in July were positive for Legionella.
New York City currently has a...
I need you to summarize and then submit.
I will summarize.
New York City, I apologize.
New York City currently has a filtration waiver from the federal government, meaning 90% of the drinking water in Manhattan is unfiltered.
And until we take a concentrated approach that's systematic, that goes from source to tap, we're going to continue to be back here year after year.
Thank you.
Thank you, and please submit the rest of your testimony to us.
Yes, thank you.
Yes, ma'am.