Expert Finds Legionella and Low Chlorine in Beaverville Water
New water testing conducted by a nationally recognized expert in Beaverville, Illinois, has uncovered Legionella bacteria in a residential plumbing system alongside persistent low chlorine levels in the municipal water supply.
Dr. Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech professor who previously investigated the Flint, Michigan, water crisis, tested two Beaverville homes in August and found no detectable chlorine residual in either home, abc7chicago.com reported.
“We found detectable legionella throughout her plumbing system,” Dr. Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech professor, said.
Testing at the home of resident Kathleen Butron revealed detectable Legionella bacteria throughout her plumbing system. The bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease.
Butron stated that four members of her household became ill and that her mother-in-law died from pneumonia, though medical records shared by Butron indicated only a probable Legionella exposure rather than a proven connection to the municipal water, abc7chicago.com reported.
“All four of us had gotten sick,” resident Kathleen Butron said.
The village of Beaverville stated that it was not informed of the independent test results until contacted by the media. Ross Secler, an attorney for the village, said testing at a separate nearby home found regular chlorine levels.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued a violation notice to the village for low chlorine residual in a distribution system sample taken in August, according to abc7chicago.com.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also issued 14 violations to Beaverville earlier in the year. One violation noted that chlorine levels fell below required minimums more than 60 times over a year-and-a-half period, abc7chicago.com reported.
Edwards noted that the repeat violations indicate the chlorine issue is not an isolated incident. The U.S. EPA stated that issues related to Legionella fall under the jurisdiction of the state health department, and Butron has reported the finding.
Secler stated that the village takes safe water obligations seriously and actively collaborates with state and federal agencies on infrastructure improvements. The village reported spending $100,000 to rehabilitate its water system and noted that it has not recently received reports of dark water from residents, abc7chicago.com reported.