The board of 220 Central Park South, a luxury condominium building in New York City, has filed a lawsuit against its own condominium association over persistent tap water contamination issues. The suit, lodged in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleges that for seven years, plumbing failures have gone unaddressed, leading to tap water described as leaving a "whitish, chalky residue" on fixtures.
The building, known for housing high-profile residents including hedge fund titan Ken Griffin, who purchased a unit for a record $238 million, is now embroiled in a dispute over water quality. The current case centers on a villa unit purchased for $46.5 million in November 2019 by an entity connected to billionaire Daniel Jusidman.
According to court documents, the owner of the unit has complained about the water quality since their purchase. The alleged issues have reportedly led to the repeated replacement of kitchen and bathroom filters. Court exhibits reportedly include a photograph showing a finger coated in a chalky residue, as described in the legal filings.
Water Quality Concerns and Testing
The board's consultants, AWTC Water Treatment Consulting, conducted water sampling in June and August 2024. The results, as detailed in the lawsuit, indicated elevated levels of zinc, aluminum, iron, and copper. Further analysis from MKM Environmental Consulting in February 2026 reportedly found copper levels at 2,700 micrograms per liter in the unit's hot water, more than double the EPA's action level. Nickel reportedly measured 1,600 micrograms per liter in the master bath, significantly exceeding the agency's health advisory, and zinc reached 16,800, surpassing the aesthetic standard.
However, AWTC Water Treatment Consulting also suggested that the elevated readings might be linked to plumbing corrosion caused by low occupancy in the unit's upper floors, rather than contaminated source water. Despite repeated efforts to address the issue, including flushing the building's system throughout 2025, the complaints from the unit owner persisted.
Legal Action and Demands
Emails included in the court filings show continued frustration from the unit's owner and a family member, Arie Jusidman, who questioned the pace of resolutions and the lack of a concrete plan. In one email dated August 2, 2024, Arie Jusidman inquired about the water consultant's analysis and a plan to rectify the situation. Daniel Jusidman expressed a desire to "live like normal people regarding water quality" in an email from August 20, 2024.
In July, the law firm Cuddy & Feder, representing the board and the unit owner, sent a formal demand to the condominium association. The firm argued that building documents classify pipe repairs as the board's responsibility, as plumbing is considered a shared element. When the deadline for action passed without a resolution, the board initiated the lawsuit to pursue a derivative claim on behalf of the unit owner.
The lawsuit seeks more than $250,000 in damages and a court order compelling the condominium to undertake the necessary repairs. Representatives for the 220 Central Park South Condominium and its management, as well as the attorneys involved, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.