“Is it safe to brush my teeth?”

Those are the words of the 6-year-old grandson of Barbara Lauray, President of the Tenants Association at the Fort Independence Houses complex at 3340 Bailey Ave.

Lauray, 61, said it’s “sad and heartbreaking” to see her grandchildren dig into their bookbags for a bottle of water and toothbrush every morning.

This comes as two residents at the building have recently been treated and released from a local hospital after contracting Legionnaires’ disease. The disease is often described as a severe form of pneumonia caused by a bacterium that festers in water, leading health officials to recommend people avoid taking showers.

But even after the outbreak, it will be weeks until residents are expected get a better idea of just what caused the outbreak. The New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene is visiting each unit to test the water.

Lauray faults NYCHA for not “doing anything to help us.”

She adds, “This isn’t a third world country.”

Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who represents the 14th District that overlaps with the NYCHA complex, is also calling on NYCHA to take action.

Cabrera said he plans to introduce a bill that requires testing immediately after a building has identified at least two people with Legionnaires’ disease.

“It’s pitiful that we have to legislate something that is common sense,” Cabrera said.

In the meantime, tenants at the complex are advised to use bottled water and take a bath rather than shower. Health experts report that Legionnaires’ can be contracted by breathing in contaminated water droplets, which includes mist from the shower head.

To complete daily tasks like cooking, cleaning and bathing with clean water, residents are spending more than $100 a week. For some, this includes using at least 40 gallons of water, which is what is required to fill a small bathtub.

The apartment complex has more than 500 residents across 344 units, many of whom are senior citizens and children.

Lauray, who has lived at the complex for more than four decades, grew up in the building with her mother and siblings. She is the mother of eight children and more than a dozen grandchildren.

As residents move out the building in droves amid the situation, Lauray said she’s staying to fight the good fight. “Somebody has to care,” Lauray said.

NYCHA has not responded to the Norwood News’ request for comment on this story.