Berkshire Medical Center is the region’s main hospital, operated by the county’s largest healthcare provider and employer, Berkshire Health Systems. Over the past four months, the facility’s lab has reported seven cases of Legionella, a water-borne bacteria that can cause a severe, at times lethal, pneumonia-type illness known as Legionnaires' disease, as well as a flu-like illness dubbed Pontiac fever.
BHS says there is no way to tell exactly how the individuals contracted the disease, which is not typically spread from person to person, but, “because some patients interacted with Berkshire Medical Center during a 14-day window prior to the onset of symptoms, the CDC defines these cases as possible healthcare-associated Legionella.”
The hospital says it’s contacted state officials about the outbreak, flushed its water supply, and upped chlorine levels in the system to combat spread of the disease. BMC has also banned drinking tap water in the facility and increased filter sensitivity on patient showers and ice machines.
City leaders say they have been in touch with the hospital and the state as it also responds to the situation.
“Public water systems are required to meet state and federal standards for Legionella control under the Massachusetts drinking water regulations. This includes effective filtration and maintaining a detectable chlorine disinfectant in the water system. Pittsfield continues to meet this requirement," Pittsfield Director of Administrative Services Catherine van Bramer told WAMC. “Most recent sampling shows a system-wide disinfectant residual average of 0.77 milligrams per liter. This is well above the 0.1 milligrams per liter level recognized by MassDEP under the study published by the American Water Works Association as effective in protecting against bacteria such as Legionella. Additional sampling near and within the hospital area showed results between 0.24 milligrams per liter and 0.58 milligrams per liter, all of which are above the recognized protective level. Testing for Legionella in the public water system is not required under these regulations.”
Commissioner of Public Works Ricardo Morales explained how residual testing works to ensure appropriate chlorine levels within Pittsfield’s water supply.
“When we disinfect our water at the water treatment plant, it then flows into the city within our distribution system, and we have to test and monitor that in different locations, sample locations representing all of our areas in the city, we still have residual chlorine," he said. "And the reason being, as time goes by and as flow moves from the water treatment plant out into the distribution system, that chlorine levels can dissipate and go down in in concentration.”
He says city residents can be confident that their water is thoroughly protected from disease.
“We are delivering a product, drinking water that is safe to consume based on the standards that we have to meet,” said the commissioner.
When it comes to Legionella exposure, Morales says the greater concern is about the bacteria becoming aerosolized and entering people’s bodies through the nose or respiratory system.
“Stagnant water can cause disinfection effects to be reduced, and anywhere in our system where stagnant water is present will have a lower amount of disinfectant," he explained. "So, what we do to counteract that is hydrant flushing. That's our flushing program. Twice a year we perform that. That's meant to get that water moving, even on sections of our system that may become stagnant.”
Another measure the city takes to counteract contamination is backflow prevention.
“Every year we do surveying and testing of cross-contamination and backflow prevention, and we're up to date with that with large buildings, including the hospital,” Morales told WAMC.
Last year, three residents of an Albany assisted living facility died from Legionnaires' disease after an outbreak hospitalized 25. An outbreak in New York City this summer killed seven and hospitalized 90, and the Westchester County Department of Health issued a public health warning earlier this month after two deaths and dozens of reported cases in the region.
