Washington State Ferries finds Legionella bacteria in water systems on vessels

||| FROM KITSAP SUN |||

Tests on potable water systems on several Washington State Ferries vessels have found “elevated” levels of Legionella, a bacteria that can grow in unused water systems.

Agency officials said in a safety bulletin sent to staff on Thursday that WSF has begun testing for Legionella because parts of vessel water systems have sat dormant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agency has begun testing and those efforts found, according to the memo, “…elevated levels of Legionella in parts of the potable water systems on numerous vessels at WSF. Upon notification of the elevated levels of Legionella, WSF has isolated and taken the affected areas of the potable water systems out of operation. As well, WSF has used supplemental water treatment to the potable water systems to lower the Legionella levels.”

WSF spokesman Ian Sterling said that testing found the bacteria on six of the state’s vessels up and down Puget Sound and that as testing continues it wouldn’t be surprising to find more.

“The real driver has been these water systems that have been turned off for the last 18-20 months during the pandemic. They’ve been finding it a lot of times in end lines with water in them for months and months and months,” Sterling said, pointing to locations like showerheads, galley areas or water fountains that haven’t been used.

Bacteria, he said, can pop up on vessels from time to time.

“(Testing) is a regular thing that (WSF’s Safety Department) does, and what I would say is it’s a little more aggressive testing right now on all the boats because things have been shut off for so long with no galley service,” Sterling said. “It sounds really ominous, but that’s why we test. To my knowledge no one has ever gotten sick drinking water on a ferry boat.”

READ ALERT BULLETIN: www.documentcloud.org/documents/21095866-safety-bulletin-001421?embed=true&responsive=false&sidebar=false

READ FULL ARTICLE: kitsapsun.com/story/news/2021/10/30/washington-state-ferries-finds-legionella-bacteria-vessels/6201688001/