The General Services Administration (GSA) is making water management a top priority at government buildings in 2024. This proactive approach is a welcome step in the fight against Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially deadly waterborne illness caused by the bacteria Legionella. However, the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease (APLD) stresses that addressing the problem at its source is crucial for true prevention.
Legionnaires’ disease can lead to severe pneumonia, posing a significant risk, especially for the elderly, smokers, immunocompromised individuals, and those with existing lung or respiratory conditions. The severity of the disease is underscored by the fact that approximately 1 in 10 infected individuals succumb to the illness.
The GSA’s focus on water management comes after alarming incidents in federal buildings. Testing revealed elevated levels of Legionella in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) building in Baltimore, Maryland, leading to its closure in June 2023. It only recently reopened. Similarly, concerns about Legionella presence in the Social Security Administration building in Baltimore prompted the shutdown of 20 water fixtures. Numerous other GSA buildings have tested positive for the bacteria, prompting notifications to workers about the associated risks.
In response to these alarming occurrences, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is demanding action from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stating, “We cannot allow another Flint water crisis to occur inside federal buildings.”
Tonya Winders, Executive Director of the APLD, applauds the GSA’s proactive approach but emphasizes the need for broader action. “Building water management and public notification are good first steps for controlling Legionnaires’ disease, but the next step is to expand the investigation and tackle the problem at its source, which is the potable water coming into our homes, facilities, and offices.”
Winders highlights the key to prevention: effective public water system monitoring, management, and treatment. This includes:
* Maintaining an adequate disinfectant residual throughout the public water distribution system.
* Monitoring and managing water quality from the public drinking water supply and distribution system.
* Increasing investment in water infrastructure.
* Conducting comprehensive investigations of all Legionellosis cases, including single cases and outbreaks.
* Positively identifying the source of Legionella bacteria after thorough investigation.
* Managing building water systems according to best practices outlined in ASHRAE standard 188.
“Legionnaires’ Disease is preventable, but it requires a proactive, holistic approach to water management,” Winders asserts. “If we are going to truly stop Legionnaires’ disease infections, we need to go beyond just investigating buildings and expand the prevention efforts to include the water supply and distribution systems bringing water to our homes and offices.”
For more information on Legionnaires’ Disease and the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease, visit: https://preventlegionnaires.org/
