The General Services Administration has mandated that all federal leased buildings and offices must have their water tested.
You take action when you receive the GSA Notice.
We respond and visit your location to take samples.
We send samples to the lab and get the results.
You receive the report and we begin any remediation.
Every day we turn on our faucets and expect clean, safe water to flow out. But do we ever stop to think about the journey this water has taken to reach us? And more importantly, do we consider the hazards that could be lurking within it?
Did you know that your water supply might not be as safe as you think it is?
Many of us trust that public water utilities are providing us with water that’s safe and hazard-free. However, water quality can be impacted at various points along the supply chain. As a facility owner, it begins and continues with you.
Before highlighting potential water hazards, reflect on the sources of your water. It could be surface water, groundwater, or even collected rainwater. This water usually undergoes rigorous processing at a local water utility plant that involves coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and ultimately disinfection (e.g., chlorine).
However, the water’s journey doesn’t stop there. It must traverse many miles of utility pipes before reaching your faucet. The quality of water, once it leaves the treatment plant and travels along miles of water pipes, can be compromised. This is where your responsibility as a facility owner begins and continues throughout all points in your facility receiving water.
The GSA requires testing of water in federal buildings and leased offices for contaminants like lead, copper, Legionella, and total coliforms (e.g., E. coli).
You must comply before [date]
As a facility owner, the safety of occupants using your water is your responsibility. Many harmful bacteria thrive in water, and the treatment processes are meant to minimize their presence in the potable water. Biofilms, which are large networks of organisms inside pipes, can pose a health risk to the people in your building.
Just owning the water in your building makes you responsible for its safety and any harmful constituents within it. Certain bacteria found in water, like Legionella and Pseudomonas, can make people very sick. This can lead to investigations by public health officials and even legal consequences.
Don’t let the potential hazards in your water supply become a threat to your building occupants. Proactive management can help you understand the risks and take appropriate action before issues get out of hand.
You have a responsibility to get your water tested, and the GSA mandated requirements must be met. However, the financial burden is shared with the GSA who will cover the initial testing.
Dr Alex Lebeau has many years of experience in the field and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist.
