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GSA Delayed Notifying Federal Building of Water Contamination
The inspector general blames the COVID-19 pandemic of contamination build up in the building’s water supply. August 12, 2024
August is National Water Quality Month, but not every facility has been lucky enough to have safe and clean drinking water.
The Washington Times reports that the federal government knew the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building in Detroit had contaminated water but didn’t alert tenants for months, potentially exposing them to unsafe levels of lead, copper and Legionella.
The General Services Administration - which acts as a landlord for federal agencies – was allegedly unable to make a decision about the health and safety of the water. The Washington Times reports that the agency first tested and found Legionella in the building’s cooling towers last August, but didn’t notify occupants until November. After notification, the GSA then had the building’s faucets and drinking fountains tested a week later showing additional contamination, but still waited to inform tenants.
Related Content: How Facilities Managers Can Prevent a Water Emergency
The Washington Times reports that 20 of the 121 water outlets tested positive for Legionella, two had elevated levels of lead and eight had unsafe levels of copper. The inspector blamed the Public Building Service’s policies and a lack of urgency to respond to official audits.
Since the instance, the GSA has updated its guidance to require notification of test results within one business day, The Washington Times reports.
This isn’t the first building in Detroit to have contaminated water either. The Washington Times reports that two cases of Legionnaires’ disease has been linked to federal government buildings in the city. A 2023 Legionella outbreak is what prompted the GSA to test the water towers at the McNamara Building in the first place. The inspector general claims that the Coronavirus pandemic shutdown caused water supplies to be left stagnant in buildings for long periods of time, creating conditions for unsafe levels of contaminants.
The McNamara Building houses the Army Corps of Engineers, FBI and Social Security Administration.
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market.
