Several schools find harmful bacteria in water systems, reminding all reopening buildings to check the pipes
As schools cautiously reopen for the fall semester, several have discovered potentially harmful bacteria in their water systems. Parents are likely concerned about what this means for their children, and other districts may be checking their own water’s safety.
Schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania have already found Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, in their water systems.
Andrew Whelton/Purdue University, CC BY-ND
As researchers who investigate water quality in buildings, we warned earlier this year that the pandemic stay-at-home orders could allow bacteria and harmful metals to accumulate in water as it sat unused in buildings’ pipes.
Some building managers looked for those problems as they reopened and found them. More than 10 schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania hav...