State workers return to Sacramento office complex where tests found Legionella contamination
State workers returned to offices last week amid an outbreak of Legionella, a bacteria that can cause mild to severe lung infections, was found in water at a midtown Sacramento state office complex yards from the Capitol.
The discovery, first reported by CalMatters, was announced ahead of the first day of the state’s derided return-to-office plan, where government employees are mandated to work from the office at least two days a week instead of full-time at home.
An email sent out June 14 alerted employees located in five buildings that make up the East End Complex on Capitol Avenue that Legionella had seeped into the water infrastructure. The buildings contain offices for the California Department of Education, California Department of Public Health and the Department of Health Care Services and can hold up to 6,000 employees.
No illnesses have been reported, a California Department of Public Health spokesperson said in a statement.
The email arrived three days before many state employees returned to the complex for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the email, the Department of General Services tested the East End Complex of buildings for traces of the bacteria from October to March. From these samplings, it found positive results for Legionella, which if unchecked can trigger Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia. The proliferation of the bacteria is often caused by stagnant and warm water in everything from air conditioners and associated cooling systems to hot water tanks and regular taps.
However, the department said that Legionella pneumophila, a strain that causes more than 90% of lung infections, was not present in any tests, according to a statement sent to The Sacramento Bee.
SEIU Local 1000, the union that represents 96,000 state workers, demanded immediate action for what they called “a recurring issue.”
“We are deeply concerned that the East End Complex building in Sacramento has tested positive for Legionella bacteria,” said Irene Green, the vice president of bargaining for the chapter. “This is not the first time we’ve encountered this issue in a state building.”
Over the years, the union said it has dealt with a number of similar concerns, but Green did not recall any member ever falling ill or suffering from complications related to Legionella. The union demanded more information and a thorough disinfection process and said they may push for more remote work options or greater access to clean water if the situation worsens.
DGS, which operates state-owned buildings, has already taken steps to stop the bacteria from spreading, it said. Since February, it has made temperature adjustments to the contaminated water and disinfected fixtures, and continues to conduct daily flushes of the complex’s pipework.
The California Department of Education confirmed in an email that these precautionary measures were underway and they “have been informed that there is no present health risk to staff.”
Since Legionella is present in nature, ”getting rid of Legionella completely from any building water system is unlikely to occur,” the email to state workers conceded.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is no safe level of Legionella in water, but a positive test is not necessarily indicative that people will contract Legionnaires’ disease, which is contracted when bacteria from the water becomes airborne.
It becomes an issue when humans inhale water droplets or mist containing Legionella. Those who contract the disease can fall ill with two types of lung infections, Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever. The bacteria is typically not transmitted from person to person.
According to the CDC, most healthy people exposed to the bacteria do not fall sick and only 10% of those who contract Legionnaires die due to complications.
The East End Complex buildings remain open and operations there continue, officials said.
