Bacteria linked to severe lung infections recently found in EPA’s Chicago office has also cropped up in three more EPA buildings, internal emails show.
Federal officials closed three water fountains, one pantry sink and two expansion tanks in the north and south wings of the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building in Washington after the water sources tested positive for Legionella, according to an email obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News. The building complex houses many EPA employees in Washington.
A sink in an EPA laboratory in Houston also tested positive for Legionella bacteria, prompting a separate email to employees in June warning them not to use the sink.
Most EPA buildings, including the William Jefferson Clinton building where the environmental agency is headquartered, are managed by the General Services Administration.
GSA has been performing drinking water tests at its facilities across the U.S., said EPA spokesperson Remmington Belford.
“When results indicate that established water quality thresholds are exceeded, EPA and GSA have taken swift action to close the contaminated sources and address contamination,” Belford said in an email.
Exposure to Legionella typically occurs through water droplets that spread in the air and can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a type of pneumonia.
Outbreaks tend to occur in water systems found in large buildings or complexes “if water is not properly maintained,” according to a fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 1 in 10 people who get the disease die from the infection, per the CDC.
In Chicago, Legionella contamination at the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building prompted the union representing EPA employees based there to file a formal complaint. It alleges that EPA and GSA have failed to protect workers’ health and safety, in violation of the union contract.
Representatives from GSA and EPA said they take worker safety seriously and have responded swiftly to the problems. In the Chicago building, 82 of 92 samples from testing this summer came back with “no detectable levels” of Legionella, said Tanya Schusler, a GSA spokesperson for the Great Lakes region.
“Of those samples that had detectable levels of Legionella, all of the Legionella species were non-pneumophila, which is less associated with Legionnaires’ Disease according to the CDC,” Schusler said in an email to E&E News.
“Studies have shown that approximately 50% of all building water systems contain Legionella, and due to its natural prevalence, there are many potential sources of exposure to Legionella in the community or even from home water systems,” she continued.
In the case of the two Washington buildings, the testing for Legionella was done Aug. 7 and released by GSA on Aug. 26, according to the email from EPA’s Office of Mission Support sent to employees Friday.
“The impacted water sources will remain inoperable pending further sampling and analysis, with results expected 10-14 days following testing,” the email said. “We are confidence that there are plenty of clean drinking water sources accessible to the WJC North and South Building Occupants and visitors.”
It was not immediately clear Tuesday when Legionella was first identified at the EPA laboratory in Houston. The internal email about the issue was sent to employees there June 20 and stated that the affected sink had been remediated.
“[However], we are awaiting the test results post remediation,” the email said. “Thank you for your attention and compliance in this regard.”
GSA’s testing of potable water systems this year covers 1,400 federally owned buildings and 6,000 locations leased to federal agencies. They include EPA’s regional office in Dallas, according to another internal email from last month. The goal of the testing is to take a proactive approach to managing water quality, GSA says.
Marie Owens Powell, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, said the union — which represents over 9,000 EPA employees — is trying to determine the extent of Legionella contamination at federal offices.
“AFGE Council 238 is expecting bargaining unit employees at all affected locations will be granted workplace flexibilities allowable under our Collective Bargaining Agreement, including temporary situational telework, until the issues are resolved,” she said in an email.
