BALTIMORE, MD (Friday, December 27, 2024) - Today, the City of Baltimore announced the following update on ongoing building water quality concerns in Baltimore City facilities.

Precautionary testing in downtown Baltimore City municipal buildings indicated elevated levels of legionella bacteria in Baltimore City Hall at 100 Holliday Street and the Abel Wolman Municipal Building at 200 Holliday Street. Testing at the Abel Wolman building was conducted on December 12, 2024 and conducted at City Hall on December 18, 2024. Results were received today. Tests were initiated at the Benton Building at 401 E. Fayette Street on December 18, 2024 and results are expected by January 5, 2024.

Due to the elevated levels of bacteria found, the City is moving forward with cleaning, system maintenance, and other mitigation efforts, including flushing and chlorination, to address the presence of legionella bacteria in these buildings, beginning this afternoon. While results for Benton have not been received yet, mitigation efforts will be conducted as a precautionary measure.

As a result, these buildings will close early on Friday, December 27, 2024 and mitigation efforts will be conducted over the weekend. The closure is not related to a public health or safety concern, but rather a result of the mitigation efforts. City employees should follow the directives of the Office of Labor Commissioner and their supervisors in regards to telework or leave while the closure is in place.

The City has taken these steps, including the precautionary testing and the robust mitigation efforts, out of an abundance of caution.

The discovery of elevated legionella bacteria in these municipal buildings follows similar discoveries in the City's courthouses and in state government facilities at State Center. Since then, mitigation efforts have been completed in those buildings and they have since reopened.

Minimal Impact on Broader Water Distribution System
The City's public distribution system, like most municipal systems, is designed to keep water in constant motion and includes chemicals - namely chlorine - specifically designed to prevent bacteria growth, making the typical conditions for the presence of legionella bacteria unlikely. While there is no requirement for a public water system to test for legionella, out of an abundance of caution, DPW has been conducting tests on the level of chlorine in the system in the impacted areas for the past several weeks in an effort to entirely rule out concern about the City's system. The chlorine levels signify whether legionella can grow. So far, the chlorine residual levels in the surrounding areas have been tested and are sufficient.

Current Status of Health Concerns
The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) has not received any reports of confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease associated with the discovered presence of elevated levels of legionella bacteria in some government buildings. BCHD will continue to monitor for relevant reports and work in coordination with the Maryland Department of Health to address any concerns as they arise.

Additional Background on Legionella Bacteria & Related Health Concerns
Legionella is a bacterium that can be found in many natural and man-made water systems. The most common way for someone to get sick is by breathing in small droplets of water contaminated with legionella that is sprayed in the air (i.e. water mist or vapor). Most healthy people exposed to legionella do not get sick.

Individuals who do get sick experience symptoms including cough, fever, headache, muscle aches, and shortness of breath. If you are experiencing symptoms of pneumonia (cough, fever, shortness of breath, chest pain), contact your health care provider. There are many forms of pneumonia, and respiratory infections with symptoms that overlap with pneumonia. Your health care provider can help determine the cause of your symptoms. Urine tests or sputum tests are the best tests to diagnose Legionnaires' disease. Note that blood tests are usually not as helpful in diagnosing Legionnaires' disease.