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Water Guidance for Unoccupied Buildings/Closed Businesses

Important Guidance from the Washington State Department of Health regarding unoccupied buildings and closed businesses.

During the course of the Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, many buildings and business have either been closed to the public or have had limited use. This can lead to stagnant water inside buildings where water use has decreased. This stagnant water loses residual chlorine disinfectant over time which increases the risk of Legionella colonization. Clallam PUD effectively monitors, disinfects and flushes its water systems to ensure public safety; however, the burden of care for managing waterborne pathogens that occur within a building’s plumbing system is the responsibility of building owners and operators.

By implementing procedures now, you can protect the public and your customers by minimizing the steps needed to safely re- open closed or partially closed facilities. To assist and guide you, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has developed the following guidance document:

COVID-19 Guidance for Legionella and Building
Water System Closures

The focus of this guidance is to reduce Legionella growth and other pathogen and corrosion concerns that occur when there is a large drop in building water use.