Officials at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, have discovered that it is likely that a faulty valve in the hospital's softener system was responsible for sediment in the water.
This sediment resulted in the facility needing to shut down its water supply for nearly two weeks, reported The Military. Officials declared the water unsafe to drink on Apr. 7 while the sediment was found.
Some hospital services, including trauma admissions to the emergency department, elective surgeries and on-site equipment sterilization were halted while the situation was assessed, reported The Military.
According to a news release from the post's public affairs office, a valve failure introduced salt into the system, which caused corrosion to the pipes and resulted in discoloration along with sediment in the drinking water supply.
Recent tests show no presence of biological hazards or pathogens, however, reported The Military.
Staff and engineers are "working to remove the brine corrosion from the affected water system components," stated The Military. Replacement parts are being ordered as well for repairs. Once everything is inspected, the system will be flushed to remove remaining debris. The final step will be to test the water to make sure it is safe for consumption, added The Military.
Officials have distributed bottled water to all clinical and administrative areas and also provided portable hand washing and eyewash stations throughout the hospital, according to The Military. Equipment will also be sent to a nearby dental clinic for sterilization.
Employees first noticed debris in the water in one department on Mar. 25.
The $1.3 billion medical center opened to thousands of patients nine months ago and is the Defense Health Agency's newest, most expensive hospital, reported The Military.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managed the project, which was designed by HDR Inc., a Nebraska-based architectural firm, and built by Clark McCarthy Healthcare Partners II, a joint venture between Clark Construction in Bethesda, Maryland, and McCarthy Building Companies in St. Louis.
