Oakland County is gearing up to test plumbing fixtures and drinking fountains in nine buildings at its Children’s Village campus in Pontiac after traces of Legionella were found elsewhere on the county government complex. Sampling is slated to start the week of Feb. 28, with crews planning to install point-of-use filters and flush water lines as a precaution. The move follows earlier detections in other county buildings and a custodial employee’s Legionnaires’ disease diagnosis late last year.
According to The Oakland Press, the testing plan targets faucets and drinking-fountain outlets across nine Children’s Village structures and is detailed in county purchasing and testing records. Those records show large orders of filters and multiple line items for collecting and analyzing water samples.
County response so far
Oakland County reports that it has already installed hundreds of medical-grade 0.2-micron point-of-use filters, flushed water loops and collected follow-up samples as part of its wider response, according to Oakland County. The county says it has spent more than $600,000 on remediation and purchased 2,244 filters to keep on standby for rapid deployment. Crews say more than 600 filters are now in place in the courthouse tower, the sheriff’s administration building and other campus facilities, and any extras will be sent back to the supplier.
Procurement records show a slightly different tally
Procurement documents reviewed by The Oakland Press peg the projected remediation tab closer to $648,000. The paper reports roughly $61,000 listed for sampling and more than $23,000 for faucet adapters and masks. That breakdown does not match the county’s public cost figures exactly, a reminder that sorting out purchasing ledgers while work is still ongoing can get a little messy.
How risky is it?
County health officials say that detecting Legionella in plumbing does not automatically mean people will get sick and that the risk remains low for most visitors. Oakland County Health Officer Kate Guzman told county leaders there were 41 cases of legionellosis in Oakland County in 2025 and that, so far, none have been traced to the Children’s Village campus, according to WXYZ. The people most at risk are older adults and those with weakened immune systems who inhale contaminated water droplets.
Why filters and flushing matter
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that Legionella thrives in warm, stagnant water and can cause Legionnaires’ disease when people breathe in tiny droplets of contaminated water. It does not spread directly from person to person. Standard control tactics include flushing plumbing systems, managing water temperature and using point-of-use filters, the same toolkit Oakland County is leaning on to cut exposure risk, in line with CDC guidance.
Timeline and next steps
Oakland County says investigative follow-up testing and routine sampling across the county campus are expected to run through May unless more positive results turn up, and that remediation efforts will be adjusted as new data comes in, according to Oakland County. Anyone with questions or health concerns can call the Oakland Connects Helpline at 800-848-5533 for information.
County leaders say they will release testing results as they become available and continue regular system maintenance in hopes of preventing future detections. Officials are urging employees and visitors to follow posted guidance and to contact a healthcare provider if they develop flu-like or pneumonia-like symptoms after spending time in county buildings.
