Legionella was found in both drinking water and non-potable water in settings including break rooms, restrooms, kitchens, and locker rooms. Image: frank333/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffIn the latest of a series of warnings about safety risks in federal office space, the inspector general of the GSA has said the agency “must take immediate action to address the risk of Legionella contamination in water systems across GSA-controlled (owned and leased) buildings.”
In an alert memo to agency management, the IG said elevated levels of Legionella bacteria—the primary cause of Legionnaires’ Disease—was found in six buildings in recent months and warned that the risk is broader.
“The elevated levels of Legionella have occurred at a time of reduced building occupancy levels. Reduced occupancy can cause water stagnation in buildings and allows Legionella to grow and spread, thereby increasing the likelihood of Legionella contamination in other GSA-controlled buildings,” it said.
Legionnaires’ Disease, a potentially fatal type of pneumonia, can be caused when an individual breathes in water droplets containing Legionella bacteria or if contaminated water enters the lungs while drinking, the report said. People 50 years or older, current or former smokers, and people with a chronic disease or weakened immune systems are at increased risk, it added.
The IG last year had reported that the GSA had not effectively tested for water contamination, including Legionella, before reopening child care centers in GSA-controlled space closed during the pandemic. It also has issued several reports in recent times finding that the aging heating/air conditioning systems in many buildings cannot accommodate the kinds of filters needed to meet current air quality standards, including one focusing on GSA’s own headquarters building.
The cited buildings were the Lewiston Bridge Land Port of Entry in Lewiston, N.Y.; the North Platte Federal Building in North Platte, Neb.; the John C. Kluczynski Federal Building and the Postal Service Loop Station in Chicago; the IRS service center in Ogden, Utah; and the 985 Michigan Avenue Federal Building in Detroit. All but the first are government-owned.
The report said Legionella was found in both drinking water and non-potable water in settings including break rooms, restrooms, kitchens, and locker rooms including shower areas. In most cases the testing was done during routine testing but in one it was in response to an employee being diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, it said. In one of the buildings, which the report did not name, the level was 640 times higher than the CDC threshold for Legionella being deemed “uncontrolled.”
It said the GSA “must address deficiencies in its testing requirements and strengthen oversight of its contractors and lessors.”
Because the report was a management alert, it contained no response from the GSA.
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