2 more State Center buildings cleared after Legionella found in water systems

The Maryland Department of General Services has cleared two more buildings in the State Center office complex after Legionella was found in the buildings’ water systems last month.

DGS spokesman Eric Solomon said in an email Tuesday that all water restrictions have been lifted at 1100 N. Eutaw St., which houses the Department of Labor, and 201 W. Preston St., the headquarters of the state Department of Health.

Another address in the complex, 300 W. Preston St., which contains the Baltimore office of the state Department of Budget and Management, was cleared last week.

Legionella, the bacteria that can cause Legionnaire’s disease, was discovered in the buildings’ water in early November, after DGS tested the water in a proactive campaign “to establish baseline testing and best practices to monitor water quality in its buildings across the state,” according to Solomon.

DGS’s new push for regular testing is similar to thosethe federal U.S. General Services Administration recently put in place, Solomon wrote.

Since Legionella was discovered at State Center, two District Court of Maryland courthouses were also found to have the bacteria in their water supplies: 5800 Wabash Ave. and 700 E. Patapsco Ave. Those buildings, as well as 301 W. Preston Street in State Center, are still awaiting test results.

Baltimore Clerk of the Circuit Court, Xavier Conaway, told The Baltimore Sun he was concerned by the findings in the district courthouses, especially considering the circuit courts’ past infrastructure issues like water main breaks and underground fires.

“Having the courthouse closed for any amount of time has really negative impacts on the city and its administration of justice,” he said, referring to the avalanche of postponements and rescheduling that results when the court’s operations are interrupted.

Wanting a proactive approach, he communicated his concerns to the city’s DGS, which has since tested three Baltimore courthouses.

The Baltimore City District Courthouse, 501 E. Fayette St., and the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse, 100 N. Calvert St., were tested on Dec. 2, according to DGS spokesman John Riggin. Results for those tests are expected by the end of this week.

The Elijah E. Cummings Courthouse at 111 N. Calvert St. was scheduled for testing on Friday, Riggin said.

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