Health · Healthcare & Policy · 5 hrs ago
Basel parliament backs Legionella checks and cooling tower registration
Basel’s parliament backed two proposals to prevent Legionella by sending them to the cantonal government for consideration.
One motion calls for regular tests of homeowners’ shower water and a public information campaign on precautions.
The other calls for wet cooling towers to be registered with the authorities.
The proposals follow a Legionella outbreak in Kleinbasel in late July 2026, when 28 people fell ill and one person died.
Authorities identified two wet cooling towers at the Manor headquarters building as the source.
Legionella bacteria can cause illness, and the proposals aim to improve prevention and oversight.
The government is to consider what measures to introduce; the motions do not themselves set the rules.
Basel’s parliament has referred two motions on Legionella prevention to the cantonal government.
One motion calls for regular preventive checks of homeowners’ shower water and a public information campaign.
The other calls for a reporting requirement for wet cooling towers.
The motions follow a Legionella outbreak in Kleinbasel in late July 2026 that sickened 28 people and killed one.
Authorities identified two wet cooling towers at the Manor headquarters building as the source.
- Who
- Basel’s parliament referred motions by SP members Christine Keller and Martin Leschhorn to the cantonal government.
- What
- The motions seek regular Legionella checks of shower water and a reporting requirement for wet cooling towers.
- When
- The parliament acted on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
- Where
- Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.
- Why
- The motions seek preventive measures; they followed a Legionella outbreak in Kleinbasel in late July 2026.
Supporters of the shower-water checks motion
Opponents of the shower-water checks motion
Control requirement
Supporters of the shower-water checks motion
Supporters backed regular checks of shower water and a cantonal information campaign on precautions.
Opponents of the shower-water checks motion
SVP and Mitte/EVP opposed the motion; the FDP allowed its members to decide freely.
A Legionella outbreak in Kleinbasel sickened 28 people, one of whom died.
Authorities identified two wet cooling towers at the Manor headquarters building as the source.
Basel’s parliament referred both motions to the cantonal government; the shower-water checks motion passed 69–24, with three abstentions.
- Shower-water motion vote
- 69–24, with 3 abstentions
- Motion authors
- Christine Keller and Martin Leschhorn
- Outbreak location
- Kleinbasel
- People sickened
- 28
- Deaths
- 1
- Identified source
- Two wet cooling towers at the Manor headquarters building