Baltimore buildings reopen after Legionella mitigation

Dan Belson, The Baltimore Sun on Dec 30, 2024

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BALTIMORE — Three municipal buildings in downtown Baltimore reopened for full service Monday after elevated levels of Legionella bacteria were detected in the water supply.

The city said in a Monday morning news release that it conducted flushing and chlorination treatments as well as other mitigation efforts over the weekend at City Hall, the Abel Wolman Municipal Building and the Benton Building. The city’s actions, including testing for Legionella, were from an “abundance of caution” and that the the closure on Friday was due to “the intrusive nature of the mitigation efforts” rather than a public health concern, the release says.

Legionella is a form of bacteria that can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia. The city closed its downtown courthouses last week due to elevated levels of Legionella, though the health department did not require the measure. The courthouses reopened Thursday.

Baltimore’s health department has not confirmed any cases of Legionnaires’ disease associated with the legionella bacteria found in government buildings. And Baltimore’s Department of Public Works has been testing chlorine levels in an effort to “entirely rule out concern” about the city’s water system, the city said.

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