District Works to Eliminate Legionella Found at Redwood Elementary
WEST ORANGE, NJ — Low levels of Legionella pneumophila, the cause of the Legionnaires’ disease, a severe and often lethal form of pneumonia, have been found at Redwood Elementary, according to the West Orange Board of Education (WOBOE).
During Monday night’s WOBOE meeting, Superintendent Jeffrey Rutzky explained that a Redwood parent approached him about the possibility that her child conducted the disease while attending Redwood’s summer camp.
Rutzky released a statement on Wednesday that the child tested negative for the disease, but that this and another incident pertaining a West Orange city employee prompted Rutzky and Robert Csigi, Director of Buildings and Grounds, to further investigate and conduct testing in the potable water. The results indicated that four out of 15 samples at Redwood tested positive for low levels of the bacteria.
Legionnaires’ disease is caused by inhalation of aerosol and micro aspiration of water containing Legionella pneumophila, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP).
During Csigi’s presentation, he explained that although Legionella pneumophila mostly affects those over 50 years old, former and current smokers, and those who suffer from lung disease—a category that does not include Redwood students and most faculty members—the district “will leave no stone unturned” when probing this issue.
When any positive samples have been returned, corrective and preventative measures must be taken. The West Orange school district has begun taking measures to eliminate the Legionella pneumophila, including implementing a chlorination process.
According to Csigi, this procedure involves emptying the hot water tank, filling the tank with chlorine and allowing it to sit for four hours. Afterward, chlorine is pumped through the system to every faucet.
A team then comes in and takes readings at the beginning and end of each line. Once a stabilized reading is obtained on both ends and is the same, at this point the bacteria would have been flushed and an 18-hour period will elapse with chlorine stagnant.
The next step is running clean water to flush out the chlorine to ensure the water is filtered and drinkable. Re-testing is then conducted.
Legionella pneumophila grows best around 77-to-108 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDCP. When testing the hot potable water temperatures in West Orange Public Schools, officials found that the temperature hovered around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. These temperatures have been corrected and are now at 135 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the district, and will potentially be raised to 160.
Other preventative measures included searching for dead-end piping, which could lead to stagnant water, increasing the chance for bacterial growth. These pipes were modified and corrected, according to the board. A total of six fixtures were replaced and the district plans to flush the system twice a year, during the summer and winter breaks.
New Jersey American Water, a water utility company, will test the incoming water supply to meet NJ Clean Water Act standards, a list of water-quality criteria. Garden State Environmental, an Industrial Hygiene consulting firm is conducting the plumbing system inspection throughout all the schools.
The investigation was completed on Tuesday, and testing was conducted on Wednesday. A period of 10 days must surpass, since this is the latent period for the bacteria to grow.
Csigi expects that the corrective measures should result in little-to-no positive results for Legionella pneumophila.
Theresa DeNova, West Orange director of health, said that the township has been advised of the following facts regarding Legionella:
- It is not contagious, person-to-person;
- It is not airborne;
- It cannot be contracted by drinking or touching water; and
- The way it is contracted is by inhaling contaminated mist.
Rutzky also shared the following statement from Kevin Watsey, New Jersey American Water’s Vice President of Governmental Affairs, to the West Orange community on Wednesday:
“Providing safe water is New Jersey American Water’s number one priority and a responsibility we share with all our customers. Although the drinking water we deliver is treated and meets all federal and state water quality standards and requirements, the quality of that water can change once it leaves our pipes and enters domestic plumbing systems.
“When we became aware of the issues the Township of West Orange experienced with legionella in the plumbing infrastructure of its Municipal Township Building, we began proactively working with Mayor Parisi, his staff, health officials and town consultants to provide expert guidance and assistance as the town works to remedy this situation.
“We are committed to helping the township resolve this issue as they work to disinfect and upgrade their building systems to ensure a healthy and safe work environment for their employees.”
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