Baltimore Buildings Continue Battling Legionella

12/18/2024

The pandemic raised concerns among engineering and maintenance managers, as well as the general public, about the role of indoor air on human health. But that is not the only facilities issue that has resurfaced since 2020. Increasingly, institutional and commercial buildings that were unused or underused in the last four years have been more likely to suffer from a reappearance of Legionella in their water supplies. 

Such is the case in Maryland. State office buildings in Baltimore’s State Center complex recently were ordered to temporarily shut down again due to the lingering presence of Legionella bacteria in the water system, according to Maryland Matters. 

A memo from the state’s Department of General Services to workers said the three buildings will shut down on a rotating basis, with employees working remotely for one day and returning the following day, depending on which building they work in. 

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Legionella is a bacterium that can spread through water systems and lead to severe respiratory illness, including pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Reports of Legionella at State Center began in November, and employees then were instructed to work remotely for a few days while the center’s water systems were flushed. 

Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.