Federal officials investigate legionella bacteria at McNamara Building in Detroit
(CBS DETROIT) - Federal officials say they are investigating legionella bacteria found at the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building in downtown Detroit.
In a statement on Tuesday, Dec, 12, the U.S. General Services Administration Great Lakes Region said water testing on Nov. 8 determined elevated levels of the bacteria in specific test points.
"Immediately after receiving these test results, GSA notified building occupants, shut off the affected water outlets, and restricted access to the outlets. In addition, GSA is continuing to flush water through these points while developing a full building water flushing and sampling testing plan," a GSA spokesperson said in the statement. "Additional testing is being conducted on the elevated test points."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, legionella bacteria can be naturally found in lakes and streams; however, it becomes a concern when it makes its way into building water systems, such as sink faucets, fountains and showers.
It can spread through droplets that people will breathe in and potentially contract Legionnaires' disease.
The National Labor Relations Board, which is a tenant in the Detroit building, told CBS News Detroit it moved operations to remote after learning of the test results.
"We have since been engaging with the General Services Administration (GSA) on mitigation and further testing and hope to safely resume our operations in the McNamara building soon," a spokesperson said in a statement.