Press releaseEnglish
For immediate release: March 3, 2021 (21-058-Spanish)
Contact: Ginny Streeter, Communications, 360-810-1628
Reminders for Safe Reopening of Buildings Following COVID-19 Closures
OLYMPIA. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) wants to support the safe reopening of buildings that may have been closed for an extended period due to restrictions related to COVID-19. Little or no water use in empty or little-used buildings increases the risk to plumbing systems and the likelihood of exposure to water. legionella.
The bacteria legionella it is naturally found in the environment, usually in water. The legionella It can cause a type of pneumonia called Legionnaires’ disease, and a non-pneumonia flu-like illness called Pontiac fever. People are exposed by inhaling small droplets of water contaminated with legionella from water installations such as showers, bathtubs and decorative fountains. Building users may be at increased risk of exposure due to stagnant water conditions during the COVID-19-related closure and when full facility use is resumed.
“Just as many of our commercial buildings and schools were required to close to preserve people’s health, we need to make sure we reopen our facilities in a way that also ensures safety and health,” stated Lauren Jenks, Undersecretary of Environmental Public Health.
There are ways to safely resume water service in buildings that were closed or underused during the pandemic. When owners and maintenance personnel reopen buildings, they should follow security guidelines (English only) to prevent the legionella and other waterborne infections that may appear. For example, two guidelines are as follows:
- When buildings are re-enabled, allow two to three weeks to get the water plumbing system up and running and make sure there is time for testing and possible disinfection if necessary.
- After the start-up practices are complete, evaluate the effectiveness of your procedures by performing tests for legionella using an approved growing method.
DOH employees are communicating with commercial building owners and maintenance managers to provide them with information on how to avoid a potential health hazard related to limited water use within larger buildings with complex plumbing systems.
Learn more about the legionella here (English only).
Go to the DOH website when you need a healthy dose of information. Find us on Facebook Y follow us on twitter. Sign up to receive the blog of the Department of Health, Wellnesswa.
###
Printable version (PDF)
–
