WASHINGTON (AP) - Officials say a public psychiatric hospital in the nation’s capital may go another week without drinking water.
The district’s deputy mayor for health and human services, Wayne Turnage, tells The Washington Post that St. Elizabeths Hospital’s water service may not be restored until late next week. Repairs were expected to finish this Friday.
The bacteria that can cause Legionnaires’ disease was found in the system during a routine test last month. About 700 staffers and 273 patients at the District-owned facility have since relied on bottled water and running water substitutes such as wipes and portable showers. The lack of potable water also means the hospital’s food service is being outsourced.
Officials say no one has shown any symptoms related to the bacteria first reported on by the Washington City Paper.
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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
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