Water quality | GSA
Source: https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/water-quality-management
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:23
Water quality | GSA
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Water quality
Maintaining water quality
We support the safety of federal employees, contractors, and visitors by implementing water quality management guidance in federally owned facilities and leased space under our jurisdiction, custody, or control.
As part of our water quality management strategy, we conducted extensive baseline water tests throughout 2024 and 2025 and implemented various water quality management best practices to identify and address potential issues. These steps were aimed at minimizing bacteria growth and metal releases in building water systems.
It’s crucial to emphasize that testing is a proactive best practice and does not imply the existence of a known risk.
Baseline testing
This testing assessed the presence of lead, copper, and bacteria, including total coliforms (
E. coli
) and
Legionella
.
Our water quality management plan: Testing and strategy
Our water quality management strategy is designed to align with key guidelines and standards
1
. These include:
Leveraging Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resources for
Legionella.
Using Environmental Protection Agency regulations for Public Water Systems as thresholds.
Integrating best practices from industry standards such as
ASHRAE
Standards 188 & 514, in addition to Guideline 12.
Our water quality management practices address the following:
Legionella
Total coliform
Escherichia coli (
E. coli)
Lead
Copper
We specifically tested for these because results can provide crucial insights into a building’s plumbing infrastructure or incoming water source.
In general,
Legionella
, total coliform,
E. coli
, lead and copper can be managed to ensure safe, continued facility use. Effective management relies on taking immediate corrective actions and follow-up testing to verify the effectiveness of those actions.
Corrective actions may include flushing, adjusting water temperatures, or building modifications such as replacing pipes or fixtures. When corrective actions are taking place, temporary measures such as providing bottled water may be necessary where there is the potential for risk to health.
Discover how we manage water quality initiatives in:
Federally owned facilities
Leased spaces
More information
If you manage a leased space and need more information on water quality, visit our
Real Estate Services: Leasing
section.
For facility specific information, contact the appropriate GSA Facility Manager or Lease Administration Manager.
For additional questions, contact
waterquality@gsa.gov
.
See how our experts are responding to your
frequently asked questions.
Additional resources
General
ASHRAE Guidance for Water System Risk Management
EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water information
CDC About Drinking Water page
EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
CDC Health Department Directories (state, local, Tribes)
Legionella
CDC Legionnaires’ Disease Fact Sheet
CDC’s “Routine Legionella testing: A multifactorial approach to performance indicator interpretation”
CDC’s “How Legionella Affects Building Water Systems and People”
CDC’s “Controlling Legionella in Potable Water Systems”
CDC’s How Legionella Spreads
OSHA’s Legionellosis (Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever)
CDC’s “Routine Legionella Testing in Buildings Without Cases”
Lead
ATSDR ToxFAQs™ for Lead
Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water
Copper
ATSDR ToxFAQs™ for Lead
Total Coliform and E. coli
EPA Revised Total Coliform Rule And Total Coliform Rule
Footnotes
1
Standards being used are not federal regulations but industry best practices.
Tell us what you think
Frequently asked questions
See how our experts are responding to your
frequently asked questions.
Proactive approach and guidance
Our
new Order for Drinking Water Quality Management
(PBS 1000.7B) seamlessly integrates CDC resources for
Legionella
and adheres to thresholds set by EPA regulations for Public Water Systems. In its development, we collaborated with federal, state, and local agencies, alongside industry experts, fostering an exchange of information crucial for effective water quality management.
The Order
Outlines our requirements nationwide for effective drinking water standards with a primary emphasis on ensuring the health and safety of federal employees, contractors, and visitors.
Establishes a proactive approach to managing drinking water quality in GSA-controlled space.
Includes references and guidance for water system risk management.
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Email Page
Last updated: Apr 17, 2026
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Rates are available between 10/1/2023 and 09/30/2026.
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Additional terms and conditions
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations,
unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where
lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as
"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within
those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include
"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties,
including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties
(unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is
located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the
entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties,
even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.
Skip to main content
Countdown to America's 250th Anniversary:
close
Official websites use .gov
A
.gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A
lock
(
)
or
https://
means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Water quality
Maintaining water quality
We support the safety of federal employees, contractors, and visitors by implementing water quality management guidance in federally owned facilities and leased space under our jurisdiction, custody, or control.
As part of our water quality management strategy, we conducted extensive baseline water tests throughout 2024 and 2025 and implemented various water quality management best practices to identify and address potential issues. These steps were aimed at minimizing bacteria growth and metal releases in building water systems.
It’s crucial to emphasize that testing is a proactive best practice and does not imply the existence of a known risk.
Baseline testing
This testing assessed the presence of lead, copper, and bacteria, including total coliforms (
E. coli
) and
Legionella
.
Our water quality management plan: Testing and strategy
Our water quality management strategy is designed to align with key guidelines and standards
1
. These include:
Leveraging Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resources for
Legionella.
Using Environmental Protection Agency regulations for Public Water Systems as thresholds.
Integrating best practices from industry standards such as
ASHRAE
Standards 188 & 514, in addition to Guideline 12.
Our water quality management practices address the following:
Legionella
Total coliform
Escherichia coli (
E. coli)
Lead
Copper
We specifically tested for these because results can provide crucial insights into a building’s plumbing infrastructure or incoming water source.
In general,
Legionella
, total coliform,
E. coli
, lead and copper can be managed to ensure safe, continued facility use. Effective management relies on taking immediate corrective actions and follow-up testing to verify the effectiveness of those actions.
Corrective actions may include flushing, adjusting water temperatures, or building modifications such as replacing pipes or fixtures. When corrective actions are taking place, temporary measures such as providing bottled water may be necessary where there is the potential for risk to health.
Discover how we manage water quality initiatives in:
Federally owned facilities
Leased spaces
More information
If you manage a leased space and need more information on water quality, visit our
Real Estate Services: Leasing
section.
For facility specific information, contact the appropriate GSA Facility Manager or Lease Administration Manager.
For additional questions, contact
waterquality@gsa.gov
.
See how our experts are responding to your
frequently asked questions.
Additional resources
General
ASHRAE Guidance for Water System Risk Management
EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water information
CDC About Drinking Water page
EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
CDC Health Department Directories (state, local, Tribes)
Legionella
CDC Legionnaires’ Disease Fact Sheet
CDC’s “Routine Legionella testing: A multifactorial approach to performance indicator interpretation”
CDC’s “How Legionella Affects Building Water Systems and People”
CDC’s “Controlling Legionella in Potable Water Systems”
CDC’s How Legionella Spreads
OSHA’s Legionellosis (Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever)
CDC’s “Routine Legionella Testing in Buildings Without Cases”
Lead
ATSDR ToxFAQs™ for Lead
Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water
Copper
ATSDR ToxFAQs™ for Lead
Total Coliform and E. coli
EPA Revised Total Coliform Rule And Total Coliform Rule
Footnotes
1
Standards being used are not federal regulations but industry best practices.
Tell us what you think
Frequently asked questions
See how our experts are responding to your
frequently asked questions.
Proactive approach and guidance
Our
new Order for Drinking Water Quality Management
(PBS 1000.7B) seamlessly integrates CDC resources for
Legionella
and adheres to thresholds set by EPA regulations for Public Water Systems. In its development, we collaborated with federal, state, and local agencies, alongside industry experts, fostering an exchange of information crucial for effective water quality management.
The Order
Outlines our requirements nationwide for effective drinking water standards with a primary emphasis on ensuring the health and safety of federal employees, contractors, and visitors.
Establishes a proactive approach to managing drinking water quality in GSA-controlled space.
Includes references and guidance for water system risk management.
Print Page
Email Page
Last updated: Apr 17, 2026
Top
1
Choose a location
Error, The Per Diem API is not responding. Please try again later.
No results could be found for the location you've entered.
Get my location
OR
State
City (optional)
OR
ZIP
Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions are set by the
Department of Defense.
Rates for foreign countries are set by the
Department of State.
2
Choose a date
Select fiscal year
OR
Travel start date (mm/dd/yyyy)
Travel end date (mm/dd/yyyy)
Rates are available between 10/1/2023 and 09/30/2026.
The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.
Additional terms and conditions
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations,
unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where
lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as
"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within
those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include
"all locations within, or entirely
surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties,
including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties
(unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is
located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the
entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties,
even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.