Several schools find harmful bacteria in water systems, reminding all reopening buildings to check the pipes
- Written by Caitlin R. Proctor, Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellow, Purdue University
As schools cautiously reopen for the fall semester, several have discovered potentially harmful bacteria in their water systems. Parents are likely concerned about what this means for their children, and other districts may be checking their own water’s safety.
As researchers who investigate water quality in buildings, we warned[1] earlier this year that the pandemic stay-at-home orders could allow bacteria and harmful metals to accumulate in water as it sat unused in buildings’ pipes[2].
Some building managers looked for those problems as they reopened and found them. More than 10 schools in Ohio[3] and Pennsylvania[4] have reported[5] finding harmful bacteria in their plumbing. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation’s health protection agency, discovered Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, in buildings[6] it leases.
This presents potential health risks. For schools, it means the long checklist for maintaining a safe learning environment should include water systems. Luckily, there are simple steps that can minimize the risks.
Schools – it’s time to learn about water safety
Most schools our team interacts with do not check or flush their water pipes regularly. During school breaks, water often sits in their plumbing for days, weeks or months. This has been even longer during the pandemic.
When water use is low or has stopped, the water stagnates. That can allow organisms like Legionella to grow and harmful metals to leach into the water, potentially making it unsafe to drink or use.
Some school buildings have more than 300 water use locations, such as gym showers, water fountains and sinks in classrooms, kitchens and restrooms. Many locations go unused for long periods of time, even when school is in session. Large buildings can also have underlying problems with water temperature and movement that allow growth even without stagnation.
References
- ^ warned (theconversation.com)
- ^ sat unused in buildings’ pipes (doi.org)
- ^ Ohio (www.whio.com)
- ^ Pennsylvania (www.msn.com)
- ^ reported (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ discovered Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, in buildings (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ B. Hayes/NIST (www.nist.gov)
- ^ CC BY-ND (creativecommons.org)
- ^ most schools (www.epa.gov)
- ^ amounts of Legionella for when to take action (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- ^ state (environmentamerica.org)
- ^ harmful organisms (doi.org)
- ^ filters (doi.org)
- ^ heaters (doi.org)
- ^ cooling towers (www.cdc.gov)
- ^ Multiple (www.baltimoresun.com)
- ^ schools (www.nbc12.com)
- ^ dealt (www.woboe.org)
- ^ recent (www.chicagotribune.com)
- ^ years (www.cnn.com)
- ^ water (epa.ohio.gov)
- ^ warnings (odh.ohio.gov)
- ^ janitor’s death (www.daytondailynews.com)
- ^ high-risk group (www.cdc.gov)
- ^ Pontiac fever (www.cdc.gov)
- ^ flushing toilets (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- ^ washing hands (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- ^ learning disabilities and cardiovascular effects (www.epa.gov)
- ^ nausea and diarrhea (www.nap.edu)
- ^ new study (pubs.rsc.org)
- ^ water management program (www.cdc.gov)
- ^ shutting down water fountains (www.k-state.edu)
- ^ touchpoints where the coronavirus could spread (www.huffpost.com)
- ^ Andrew Whelton/Purdue University (engineering.purdue.edu)
- ^ CC BY-ND (creativecommons.org)
- ^ Flushing (www.youtube.com)
- ^ harmful organisms can return (doi.org)
- ^ Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter (theconversation.com)
Authors: Caitlin R. Proctor, Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellow, Purdue University