Offices of the US state of Maryland authorities have closed due to a dangerous bacteria in the water

The offices of authorities in the U.S. state of Maryland were closed due to the detection of legionella bacteria in the water from water pipes. This was reported on December 4 by The Washington Post newspaper with reference to an e-mail sent to employees.

It is reported that the departments of Health, Labor, General Services, Budget and Administration will be closed for three days to sanitize water supplies due to the discovery of the bacteria.

"No bacterial contamination has been identified among employees at the state center," MDH spokesman Chase Cook told the paper.

The piece notes that the risk of contracting legionellosis due to water contamination is low, there are no known outbreaks and the number of cases in the state is slightly higher than last year.

Earlier, on November 22, CNN reported that a group of researchers identified a chemical substance that for decades was present in the drinking tap water of about 113 million U.S. residents. It was noted that this substance is a byproduct of the decomposition of chloramine, a chemical that many treatment plants use to make water safe to drink.