Legionella bacteria found at manor previously hit by legionnaires' outbreak

Water testing has turned up a sample of legionella bacteria at a Dartmouth manor that had an outbreak of legionnaires' disease two years ago, but the Nova Scotia Health Authority says there aren't any risks to tenants or any cases of the disease.

"As part of our routine water testing at Alderney Manor, there was one sample taken that showed a small increase in a low-risk form of legionella," said Heather Fairbairn, a spokesperson for the Department of Community Services.

She said the department immediately submitted the results to public health officials, who confirmed there was no immediate danger to tenants.

Bottled water available to tenant

The samples were taken on June 19. Tenants were told of the results 10 days later.

"That was all shared with residents yesterday in an effort to keep them informed about what is going on within the building," said Jamie Vigliarolo, the acting general manager of the Metro Regional Housing Authority.

"The results of that were very positive. The feedback from residents is that they really appreciated us sharing that information with them."

While testing was underway, the department provided bottled water for the tenant who lives in the apartment with the elevated sample as a precaution.

There are no water restrictions in place and tenants can use their showers and drink the tap water.

Regular water tests

In 2015, Alderney Manor had an outbreak of legionnaires' disease, which is a severe form of pneumonia. Five people became sick and one of them died.

A copper-silver ionization system was installed to treat hot and cold water at the 200-unit building. That system inhibits the growth of legionella bacteria. 

"We carry out regular water tests of the copper-silver ion system, and that's on a weekly basis," said Vigliarolo. 

Difficult to eradicate

Dr. Trevor Arnason, the area's medical health officer, said legionella bacteria are commonly found in pipes and are extremely difficult to eradicate. Even if it's fully eradicated the bacteria tend to grow back, he said, and the sample detected by testing in Alderney Manor doesn't present a risk to the residents. 

"They've never actually detected legionella that is likely to cause serious human illness. This is really a proactive measure that they've taken," he said.

"The levels that they get back can help them adjust their treatment of the water system to decrease the likelihood that legionella species will grow."