Baltimore City Hall, 2 other city buildings reopen after legionella bacteria discovered in water
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City Hall and two other municipal buildings reopened after mitigation efforts were carried out to treat elevated levels of legionella bacteria discovered in the water system, according to city officials.
The City Hall building, Abel Wolman Municipal building and Benton building reopened for full service on Monday. On Friday, the mayor's office said precautionary testing detected high levels of legionella bacteria.
Mitigation efforts were conducted over the weekend in all three buildings, including flushing and chlorination treatments, according to the mayor's office.
The closures were due to the intrusive nature of the mitigation efforts, not public health or safety concerns, the mayor's office said.
A week prior, tests found elevated levels of legionella bacteria in the water system at three Baltimore City courthouses. Those courthouses reopened after mitigation efforts were carried out.
"The discovery of elevated legionella bacteria in these municipal buildings follows similar discoveries in the City's courthouses and in state government facilities at State Center," the mayor's office said in a statement. "Since then, mitigation efforts have been completed in those buildings and they have since reopened."
The city will continue to conduct precautionary testing in city-owned facilities as needed, the mayor's office said.
According to the mayor's office, the city's public distribution system is designed to keep water in constant motion and includes chemicals like chlorine to prevent bacteria growth.
The chlorine levels signify whether legionella can grow, and so far, levels in the surrounding area were tested and are sufficient, the mayor's office said.
The Baltimore City Health Department said it has not received any reported cases of Legionnaires' disease, but officials will continue to monitor for relevant reports.
"They can infect people and can give them many different symptoms, but often symptoms of pneumonia, it can be a dangerous form of pneumonia," Dr. Greg Corcoran, with LifeBridge Health, said.
What is legionella bacteria?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), legionella is a type of bacteria that can lead to Legionnaires' disease or Pontiac fever. People can get sick by breathing in water vapor or mist that contains the bacteria.
The bacteria can also spread through sink faucets, decorative fountains, water heaters or large plumbing systems.
"Symptoms that people could get with legionella include cough, fevers, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea," Dr. Corcoran said
Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever rarely spread from person to person, according to the CDC.
"It's very treatable with an antibiotic, and if you let it go, the symptoms can get worse," Dr. Corcoran said. "So, if you start having symptoms, then I would definitely recommend making an appointment with your doctor or going to your local emergency department if your symptoms are severe."
Call for testing
In early December, the clerk for the Baltimore City Circuit Court requested water quality tests for three courthouses after reports of legionella bacteria in two District Court buildings.
In the request, Clerk Xavier Conaway emphasized the importance of being proactive to ensure water is safe in high-traffic buildings.
"Ensuring the integrity of the water supply is not just a basic health and safety measure but a crucial step in maintaining public trust," Conaway said in the request.