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In late summer 2023, regularly scheduled maintenance testing revealed Legionella in the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building cooling tower. In further testing of a sample of the building’s water sources, lead, copper, and Legionella that exceeded the applicable thresholds were identified in a number of water outlets within the building. Affected outlets were taken out of service, sink aerators were cleaned or replaced, and increased water flushing through these outlets was started based on the test results. These locations were retested in December 2023 and most showed levels below the applicable thresholds. For those locations that still exceeded the threshold, flushing will continue and be retested in January 2024.
What are GSA’s long term plans to remedy the water situation?
GSA continues to flush the piping to the affected outlets in the building and will test the water until the results are back within the Well Controlled level, as defined by the CDC.
What is causing the water issues?
Legionella bacteria are found naturally in freshwater environments, like lakes and streams and may be present within the public water system. With the right controls in place, including the appropriate levels of disinfectant, water temperature, and freshness, bacteria in the building’s system would not be able to grow and spread. A Water Management Plan will define such controls for the building’s water system.
How will GSA prevent this from happening again?
The recommended treatment for any of these contaminants is to increase the amount of fresh water flowing through the piping system by flushing. Water that is allowed to sit in a pipe is more likely to pick up contaminants and flushing brings in fresh water to the pipe to minimize this situation. The building will also implement a Water Management Plan, which is being finalized. The WMP will document the operational strategy for monitoring water quality and responding to water quality events.
Is air quality impacted by the water issues?
We comply with the ASHRAE standard. Checking for Legionella in the air is not an industry standard practice. We check for it in the water which is the source so it’s not necessary to check for it in the air. Additionally, the CDC recommends water testing only, not air testing.
What is a cooling tower?
Cooling towers are often part of the centralized air cooling system for buildings. These structures contain water and fans to remove heat from the air. In this process, cooling towers can create aerosols (droplets of water in the air). If a cooling tower is not properly maintained, those aerosols can contain Legionella bacteria.
What is Legionella and what risks does it pose?
Legionella is a bacteria that can cause a serious type of pneumonia (lung infection) called Legionnaires’ disease. Legionella bacteria can also cause a less serious illness called Pontiac fever. Legionella bacteria are found naturally in freshwater environments, like lakes and streams. The bacteria can become a health concern when they grow and spread in human-made building water systems. Most healthy people exposed to Legionella do not get sick. People at increased risk of getting sick are:
People 50 years or older.
Current or former smokers.
People with a chronic lung disease (like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema).
People with weak immune systems or who take drugs that weaken the immune system (like after a transplant operation or chemotherapy).
People with cancer.
People with underlying illnesses such as diabetes, kidney failure, or liver failure.
Please see the CDC fact sheet on this page for more information.
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Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions are set by the Department of Defense.
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations,
unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where
lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within
those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties,
including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties
(unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is
located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the
entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties,
even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.
U.S. General Services Administration