One State Center building cleared of Legionella, but it still plagues other state buildings

One state building in Baltimore has been cleared of unsafe levels of Legionella from its drinking water, state officials said Monday, but employees and union members continue to fear the bacteria’s presence in other state buildings.

Workers’ fears of unsafe working conditions come as the state recently identified two additional buildings affected by the potentially dangerous bacteria, according to Eric Solomon, communications director for the Department of General Services.

Solomon said in a Monday interview that recent water testing showed Legionella is present at two District Court buildings — one on 5800 Wabash Ave. and one on 700 E. Patapsco Ave.

Meanwhile, Solomon said testing on water from 300 W. Preston St., which houses state agencies incuding General Services and the Department of Budget and Management, show that the facility now has drinkable water and is “within normal limits.”

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 3 “welcome the good news” for the one building in State Center, but still thinks stronger protections should be in place until the other buildings have been cleared of Legionella, including the two district court buildings found to be contaminated.

DGS instructed employees working in the district court buildings to avoid drinking water in those facilities, along with other safety precautions. The court buildings were flushed out over the weekend to remove the bacteria from the water system, but test results to determine if it is still present won’t be available for about two weeks.

In an email Monday, AFSCME restated its belief that members “in these buildings who can telework should be allowed to do so and provided the equipment necessary,” citing a written statement first issued Wednesday. “Others should be relocated swiftly, and those who must stay in order to temporarily shut the building down should be given the proper PPE [personal protective equipment], bottled water, and emergency pay needed to safely be in the buildings,” the statement said.

State employees renew call for safer working conditions and reducing staff shortages

The Legionella issue was a topic of a recent AFSCME rally protesting unsafe working conditions and staffing levels at several state agencies. DGS currently provides some bottled water for employees working in the affected buildings, but employees are expected to work in the buildings unless they formally request accommodations to work remotely.

Legionella is a bacteria that can grow in stagnant water systems and lead to severe illness or even death among certain vulnerable people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While most people exposed to the bacteria won’t get sick, certain populations are at a higher risk of severe disease, including smokers, people aged 50 or older and those with specific health conditions such as cancer and diabetes.

The Maryland Department of Health said in a written statement Monday that it is not aware of any sicknesses as a result of the presence of Legionella in any of the affected buildings.

DGS first identified Legionella in the water of three buildings at State Center in Baltimore back in November. The three buildings were closed last week to flush the water systems.

The agency is still waiting on test results for the buildings at 201 W. Preston St. and 301 W. Preston St. Those buildings are home to several state agencies, including the state health department. DGS is also waiting on water results for 1100 N. Eutaw St., which houses the Division of Labor and Industry.

Solomon said that Legionella is present because the buildings “haven’t been maintained in a really long time,” which he attributed to a lack of investment from the Hogan administration. He said that DGS is working to create a more robust maintenance schedule for state buildings and continue testing other facilities for Legionella. He noted that the tests may reveal other water systems are contaminated with Legionella.

“The more we test the more we’re going to find out that these older buildings are going to have Legionella,” he said. “It’s going to take a while but we’re going to hit every state building.”