Midwest City releases update on water safety concerns at Autumn House

MIDWEST CITY, Okla. (KFOR) - On Wednesday, the City of Midwest City re-affirmed its concerns regarding the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the plumbing system at Autumn House Independent Living.

Since the discovery, Public Works has stayed in direct contact with the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) and the Autumn House.

Autumn House staff confirm, immediate actions were addressed with OSDH to prepare for remediation efforts, which included an extensive treatment of the plumbing system within their property. Additionally, efforts are in place with the Public Works to continuously supply water, making sure no scheduled construction projects or other issues would interrupt the remediation process.

At this time Autumn House says, no projects are currently scheduled that would interrupt water supply to the property and disrupt these efforts. No other actions were requested of Midwest City Public Works.

Legionella bacteria can form in locations where water becomes warm, stagnate or is not circulated regularly within a plumbing system. In this case, the water supplied to the Autumn House was not found to be the source of the contamination.

"Midwest City's drinking water is tested frequently to ensure that it is safe to drink,” said R. Paul Streets, Public Works Director. “It is not the cause of Legionella bacteria discovered in the plumbing system at the Autumn House.”

OSDH says, it will continue to monitor the situation closely to prevent any further spread of Legionella contamination.

The Centers for Disease Control encourages building managers to develop Water Management Programs, especially in buildings with older infrastructure which can be a contributing factor. These management plans would include steps for adequate disinfection and preventing water stagnation within plumbing systems.

If you have any questions related to the Legionella concerns at the Autumn House Living Center those concerns are asked to be directed to the Infectious Disease Prevention and Response Division of the Oklahoma State Department of Health.