The continuing saga of Legionella at the Golden Sands Condominium advanced this week when recent tests showed the presence of the bacteria in the water once again. After two guests contracted Legionnaires’ disease at the Maryland facility last November, management launched a treatment plan and disinfected the building’s water system with chlorine. Subsequent tests indicated that the bacteria was under control. At the end of June, however, two more guests of the condo contracted Legionnaires’. As required by the local health department, management began to conduct biweekly tests of the building and alerted tenants of the risk. The results of the new tests have been uneven, as is common when testing a newly installed water system. Because of the size of the building and the age of the plumbing, pockets of water may not have been reached by chlorination. The most recent test was taken on June 28, the day on which the two guests seem to have contracted the disease. Out of 19 areas studied, 17 showed no bacteria presence and one showed a fractional presence. The last, however, showed a significant level of Legionella. The presence of bacteria means that biweekly tests will continue until the facility is clear of Legionella for three straight months; after that, the facility will be tested monthly for three more months. A water management expert points out that resort buildings like Golden Sands, where units may remain empty for long periods of time, are at particular risk of breeding the bacteria. More information is available here. Jules Zacher is an attorney in Philadelphia who has tried Legionnaires’ disease cases across the U.S. Please visit LegionnaireLawyer.com again for updates.
Update: Legionella still present at Golden Sands condominium was last modified: August 2nd, 2016 by