Why WA officials are warning businesses to check water supply before reopening

As businesses prepare to reopen as restrictions are eased, they need to pay special attention to their water supply.

What happens when water doesn’t move for a period of time inside the pipes?

Bacteria can build up in the pipes, especially Legionella, which causes Legionnaires’ disease. If your building has been running at little or no capacity during the stay-at-home orders, it is essential that you check the water supply before allowing employees or clients back in.

“When we shut down these very large buildings for a long time, the chlorine residual that we carry in the water to prevent Legionella from flourishing goes away,” said Steve Deem, an environmental engineer in the Washington State Office of Drinking Water.

At the very minimum, building owners must flush the entire system to eliminate any bacteria, but they really should test the chlorine levels specifically.

“If they can’t detect a chlorine residual, that’s a problem,” Deem said.

Owners should also check the temperatures at every outlet to make sure it’s running hot enough to kill any bacteria.

But it’s not just the faucets. This applies to every water fixture in your building.

“This is your HVAC system, whirlpools, spas and swimming pools,” Deem said. “Those are all part of things that building owners really need to take a look at and think about so we don’t have a secondary outbreak, in this case of Legionnaires’ disease.”

Ice machines should also be thoroughly cleaned and flushed.

If you have any questions about chlorine levels in your specific water supply or if your system uses chlorine, be sure to check with your local utility. Most large and medium sized municipal systems use free chlorine.

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