After closing operations for a few days after genetic material from Legionella bacteria were found in its hot water systems, the YWCA Evanston/North Shore has completed recommended remediation and health and safety measures and reopened Oct. 17, an administrator said.
Erin Venable, vice president of marketing and communications for the YMCA Evanston/North Shore, said the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Environmental Health team confirmed that all necessary control measures were in place for safe reopening, and the building, at 1215 Church Street, Evanston, is open for public and in-person programming.
Two people became sickened with Legionnaire’s Disease after visiting the YWCA facility, per previous reporting.
“The health and safety of everyone in our community is our top priority, and we can assure you that we have followed all recommended guidelines and precautions to ensure a safe return to our facilities,” Venable wrote in an email.
She said the facility has made the following updates recommended by health and safety experts.
- All facility faucets and showers now have .2-micron filters installed. These filters have a 99.99999% bacteria kill rate and are recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Venable said.
- YWCA E/NS typically maintains a chlorine level of 2 ppm (parts per million) in the two pools. As an extra precautionary measure—despite no Legionella bacteria being detected in the pool water—YWCA has temporarily increased the chlorine levels to a range between 3.0-3.33 ppm for the next three months.
- YWCA E/NS’s hot water system temperature has been returned to the standard operation temperature of 140°F (60°C) to inhibit Legionella growth. Adjustments have also been made to master mixing valves with a contracted plumber to ensure an increased return temperature of 128°F as an additional precautionary measure.
- The YWCA is developing a customized water treatment solution and preventative maintenance management plan with a water treatment consultant now that growth of Legionella bacteria in culture has been observed by the IDPH lab (versus the just genetic material from the bacteria being detected in the first round of test results).
- Water Fountains are temporarily closed as a precautionary measure.
Background information about the YWCA closure and Legionella bacteria can be found at https://bit.ly/ywensmitigation.
Anyone who has recently visited the YWCA Evanston/North shore and who has been diagnosed with pneumonia or experienced pneumonia-like symptoms is encouraged to contact the City of Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department at health@cityofevanston.org or 847-448-4311 for guidance.
“We will continue to follow all the protocols and steps advised by IDPH, Evanston Health and Human Services (EHHS), and water management experts to ensure the ongoing safety of our facilities,” Venable said.
