Earlier this month we notified staff, Congressional offices and the public about positive test indications for Legionella in the facility’s water. This week we received the results of our retesting and overall there has been improvement. The retests have indicated traces of Legionella in Building 2 and Building 38. These findings were from three isolated areas, one in Building 2 and two in Building 38. Point of Use Filters that block Legionella have been installed on all of the fixtures that tested positive. Please note that the water is safe to drink, for use in washing your hands and for use in patient care. The condition of the water at the Tucson VA has not caused an infection in either patients or staff. Legionella is present in natural and artificial water environments worldwide including Arizona. Person-to-person transmission of Legionella disease does not occur. The Tucson VA has a zero tolerance policy for the presence of Legionella and tests for its existence quarterly. The facility is currently working on additional steps to filter the water and will be conducting follow up tests. We will provide updates as more information is available and new test results are anticipated within 14 days. The safety of our staff and patients is our most important priority. We will continue to closely monitor our water quality to ensure we maintain a safe environment for our SAVAHCS community.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:01:05 +0000
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