(AGENPARL) – mer 22 maggio 2024 Issued: May 22, 2024 (5:21pm EDT)
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EPA Region 7 Issues Emergency Order on Drinking Water Safety at Colonial Acres
of Humboldt Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility in Humboldt, Nebraska
Facility’s ongoing Legionella bacterial contamination may endanger public
health
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 – 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa,
KS 66219
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations
LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 22, 2024) – On May 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 issued an emergency order under the Safe
Drinking Water Act to the City of Humboldt, Nebraska, for drinking water at
the Colonial Acres of Humboldt Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility
(Colonial Acres).
Colonial Acres has an ongoing Legionella bacterial outbreak in its water
system that has resulted in related illnesses and fatalities, with the most
recent fatality occurring in March 2024.
Legionella has not been found in Humboldt’s Public Water System outside of
Colonial Acres. This order addresses disinfection of water utilized at the
Colonial Acres facility and does not require any action by Humboldt residents.
Legionella bacteria can cause sickness and death through two forms of
Legionellosis, Pontiac fever and the more severe Legionnaires’ disease,
which is a potentially fatal illness involving pneumonia. People and patients
in an assisted living facility are at an increased risk for contracting
Legionellosis, and also at an increased risk of higher morbidity once
contracted.
The emergency drinking water order requires the City of Humboldt to:
Issue a public notice regarding the potential presence and risk of exposure to
Legionella at Colonial Acres.
Implement mitigation measures at Colonial Acres to protect against the risk of
Legionella and provide a description of the steps taken to EPA.
Install a disinfection treatment system at Colonial Acres that is sufficient
to control Legionella contamination.
In fall 2022, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) began
working with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to
address the contamination. Prior to that, as early as 2020, DHHS had been
working with Colonial Acres and advised the facility to revise their
comprehensive Water Management Plan to include ongoing monitoring; flushing;
point-of-use filtration devices; increased water temperature; the use of
bottled water; temporary shock chlorination, a drinking water treatment used
for bacterial contamination; and other measures to mitigate Legionella risks.
Despite efforts to mitigate the contamination, samples collected in March 2024
showed the presence of Legionella in the water throughout the Colonial Acres
facility. There is currently no routine disinfection treatment of water used
at the facility.
Upon learning about the Legionella contamination at Colonial Acres, EPA Region
7 initiated enforcement to address the contamination at the facility.
Following EPA Region 7’s enforcement action, on May 21, 2024, the Humboldt
City Council approved and initiated actions to procure equipment for the
installation of a water disinfection system at Colonial Acres. The city must
coordinate with NDEE to ensure that the system meets the state’s
specifications.
EPA Region 7 will continue immediate work with the City of Humboldt, NDEE, and
DHHS to resolve the ongoing contamination issues at Colonial Acres.
Colonial Acres
The City of Humboldt owns Colonial Acres and provides the water supply and
service connections to the facility, which has a 49-bed, long-term care unit
and 16 assisted living apartments. Colonial Acres also provides in-patient and
out-patient physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapy.
Legionella Bacteria
Legionella can adversely impact public health. The U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 8,000 to 18,000 people are
hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease each year in the U.S.
Legionella bacteria are found naturally in the environment worldwide, usually
in aquatic environments. The bacteria also occur in distribution systems and
premise plumbing. The bacteria can be transported from water to the air by
faucets, shower heads, cooling towers, HVAC systems, and nebulizers. Thus,
drinking water contaminated by Legionella bacteria poses risks of exposure
through showering, bathing, cooking, and respiratory therapy.
In March 2001, EPA issued a Drinking Water Health Advisory for Legionella.
Health Advisories offer technical assistance to public health officials, but
are not enforceable federal standards.
EPA’s Legionella Drinking Water Fact Sheet
For More Information
EPA has established the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, a toll-free number for
further information on drinking water quality, treatment technologies, and for
obtaining Health Advisories or other regulatory information.
EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 800-426-4791, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
(Eastern time), Monday-Friday (excluding holidays)
The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) can be reached at
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) can be reached at
402-471-3121.
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Learn more about EPA Region 7
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