Water quality: Federally owned facilities

Federally owned facilities

• Baseline drinking water quality tests: We are establishing baseline drinking water quality tests for approximately 1,400 federally owned facilities under our jurisdiction, custody and control, including those facilities where operations and maintenance responsibilities have been delegated to the occupant agency in FY24. Testing schedules will be communicated to agencies at the local level by GSA’s local Facility Manager. 

  We will establish baseline drinking water quality tests for:

  • Legionella
  • Total coliform
  • E. coli
  • Lead
  • Copper

• Building-specific water sampling and flushing plans: At approximately 350 federally owned facilities meeting specific criteria established recently by ASHRAE Standard 514 (over six stories high, or more than 50,000 square feet with one or more water booster pumps), we and our partners are developing and implementing building specific water sampling and flushing plans based on ASHRAE recommendations. In total, these buildings account for approximately 79% of our federally owned inventory, based on square footage. Some other buildings in our inventory already have ASHRAE Standard 188 or 514 water management programs in place. 

• Weekly water system flushing in designated areas: We will flush water systems weekly in childcare centers, healthcare units, and showers. Flushing helps maintain water quality by preventing the stagnation of water in pipes, and reducing the risk of metal accumulation and Legionella growth. This proactive measure helps safeguard the health and well-being of occupants, particularly vulnerable populations in childcare centers and healthcare units, by promoting clean and safe water usage.

What to expect during testing at federally owned facilities

Testing results timeline: Testing for Legionella requires a 14 day analysis. Testing for total coliform and E. coli should be available within 24 hours. Lead and copper requires up to a 7 day analysis. Final reports are obtained approximately 30 days after testing.

Response actions: When results indicate that applicable EPA, state or local thresholds have been exceeded for lead, copper, total coliform bacteria, or E.coli, or when growth is not well controlled for Legionella, we or the delegated federal agency will: 

• Notify tenants and post relevant signage
• If indicated, restrict access to impacted outlets or spaces, and/or provide bottled water 
• Communicate with the water supplier, if needed
• Begin corrective actions, such as system flushing and adjusting operational parameters 
• Retest the water system once corrective actions are complete
• Notify tenants of follow-up testing results
• Continue with additional corrective actions and testing if deemed necessary