The Baltimore City Circuit Court clerk made a very public call Tuesday for city agencies to proactively test the water at the Mitchell and Cummings courthouses to ensure it's safe to drink.Concerns are mounting over possible water contaminated with legionella at Baltimore buildings owned and operated by public entities.This comes after water test results revealed last month that one of the six state-owned buildings at State Center are contaminated with legionella bacteria."At the end of the day, people really shouldn't be working in these buildings. It's a problem," said Patrick Moran, the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland. "They've got to get a handle on infrastructure in the city and the state to avoid a major health crisis."Baltimore City Circuit Court Clerk Xavier Conaway is demanding the city conduct proactive water testing at three of its downtown buildings: The Mitchell Courthouse, The Cummings Courthouse and the Juvenile Justice Center.As of last week, six buildings owned and operated by the Maryland Department of General Services had legionella detected in the water supply, officials told 11 News Investigates. That includes four buildings in the State Center complex, plus two district courthouses, Wabash and Patapsco.Officials said Tuesday that the water at 300 W. Preston St. has been cleared for drinking as test results remain pending on the five other buildings."The timeline for receiving the results of the others are about 10 to 14 days post remediation," Chichi Nyagah-Nash, the chief operating officer of DGS, told 11 News.AFSCME Maryland said its union members work in all nine buildings, and it's calling for testing across all jurisdictions, plus measures to keep workers safe in the process.'They should be instructing people to work from home, and if they can't, send people home until they've flushed out the system," Moran told 11 News.DGS officials told 11 News that they continue to take precautions to keep workers and visitors safe as they finalize plans to continually test the water in the 52 buildings it owns and operates statewide."It is absolutely the plan to test and treat all our buildings," Nyagah-Nash told 11 News.Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that when legionella is detected, people should not drink the water.AFSCME Maryland is taking it a step further, telling it members not to wash their hands in the water either.
The Baltimore City Circuit Court clerk made a very public call Tuesday for city agencies to proactively test the water at the Mitchell and Cummings courthouses to ensure it's safe to drink.
Concerns are mounting over possible water contaminated with legionella at Baltimore buildings owned and operated by public entities.
This comes after water test results revealed last month that one of the six state-owned buildings at State Center are contaminated with legionella bacteria.
"At the end of the day, people really shouldn't be working in these buildings. It's a problem," said Patrick Moran, the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland. "They've got to get a handle on infrastructure in the city and the state to avoid a major health crisis."
Baltimore City Circuit Court Clerk Xavier Conaway is demanding the city conduct proactive water testing at three of its downtown buildings: The Mitchell Courthouse, The Cummings Courthouse and the Juvenile Justice Center.
As of last week, six buildings owned and operated by the Maryland Department of General Services had legionella detected in the water supply, officials told 11 News Investigates. That includes four buildings in the State Center complex, plus two district courthouses, Wabash and Patapsco.
Officials said Tuesday that the water at 300 W. Preston St. has been cleared for drinking as test results remain pending on the five other buildings.
"The timeline for receiving the results of the others are about 10 to 14 days post remediation," Chichi Nyagah-Nash, the chief operating officer of DGS, told 11 News.
AFSCME Maryland said its union members work in all nine buildings, and it's calling for testing across all jurisdictions, plus measures to keep workers safe in the process.
'They should be instructing people to work from home, and if they can't, send people home until they've flushed out the system," Moran told 11 News.
DGS officials told 11 News that they continue to take precautions to keep workers and visitors safe as they finalize plans to continually test the water in the 52 buildings it owns and operates statewide.
"It is absolutely the plan to test and treat all our buildings," Nyagah-Nash told 11 News.
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that when legionella is detected, people should not drink the water.
AFSCME Maryland is taking it a step further, telling it members not to wash their hands in the water either.