Community discussion: managing water in facilities during the Covid-19 shutdown
Unoccupied buildings on college campuses during the coronavirus shutdown are approaching the summer months, when temperatures are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria that can cause Legionnaires' disease. Do you know the steps to flushing out your building's multiple systems? What are you doing to manage potential contamination in drinking fountains, decorative water fountains, ice makers, and other parts of your campus?
Some of nation's leading water quality experts from Chem-Aqua offer some straightforward, easy advice on testing, flushing, and documenting your campus water systems and answered your questions below.
Additional resources
Chem-Aqua white paper: Addressing High Water Age (Stagnation) in Low Occupancy Buildings
Chem-Aqua white paper: How to Flush Your Domestic Water Systems during times of Building Vacancy
APPA hosts a weekly panel discussion and Q&A on the shared campus responses and guidance on COVID-19 every Friday, 12:30–2:00 p.m. Eastern
The International District Energy Association (IDEA) has a page dedicated to providing resources and materials for building managers regarding COVID-19, including the original presentation on water management with Chem-Aqua’s Pat Guccione
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published guidance on building water systems
HPAC Engineering posted an article entitled “Looking Ahead: How to Restart Stagnant Building Water Systems”
Recent Webinars
Now that coronavirus restrictions are beginning to lift, schools are beginning to grapple with how to allow students, faculty, and staff to return to campus safely. According to Avasant Research, “universities are preparing for substantial economic fallout, both from less revenue from student tuition and the risk that there will be fewer international—and higher fee-paying—students in their next intake.” Budget cuts are expected across the board on nearly all school campuses, but facilities departments may be looking at additional operating and capital expenses when making accommodations for physical distancing and sanitation measures.
In this interactive panel discussion, we discussed challenges and strategies on campuses to manage and prioritize facilities budgets while transitioning from the coronavirus shutdowns. Special thanks to guest panelists, who included Mary Dukakis, Vice President of Operational Services, Southern New Hampshire University; Bob LaVigne, Vice President for Operations, Nichols College; and Karla Youngblood, Director of Facilities Operations, Amherst College.
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We don’t know what impact SARS COV-2 has on our HVAC systems. In a letter published in March in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers described how aerosolized coronavirus particles can remain viable for up to three hours in the air, meaning they could infect a person hours after being expelled. Factors such as humidity levels, ventilation, and routine maintenance can help mitigate the spread of Covid-19. In this community discussion on April 24, 2020, GreenerU's building experts share suggested guidelines for operating buildings during the shutdown.
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Campus shutdowns through the coronavirus outbreak have brought questions and concerns about health and safety procedures and occupancy involving ongoing building maintenance, energy conservation, and ongoing construction. With situations changing on an almost hourly basis, how can campus facilities stay up to speed? How are you managing the forced hibernation of buildings that were designed to be 24/7 operations? How will you transition out of this crisis? Colleges and independent schools in the Northeast met on April 9, 2020, for a facilitated discussion on how to respond to campus facilities challenges during the coronavirus outbreak.
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