Mayor Declares Harvey Hall Safe

TYLER — Phigenics Analytical Services Laboratory in Fayetteville, Arkansas, released a preliminary testing report dated Sunday, Nov. 24, showing no Legionella bacteria was found in water samples taken from Tyler’s Harvey Convention Center. Mayor Martin Heines told KTBB on Tuesday, “even though all logic pointed towards vendors from the East Texas State Fair, the city took it upon themselves, to close it and make sure that we aggressively cleaned Harvey Hall for the safety of the public.” The Mayor went on to say, “We have gone above and beyond the North East Texas Public Health District and the Centers for Disease Control’s expectations.”

According to a city news release, the report, released Wednesday, Nov. 27, indicates Legionella bacteria was not detected in four potable water sources at Harvey. However, dead Legionella bacteria was found in water collected from two kitchen sinks in the building. The report indicates the amount of viable bacteria found on the two sinks was below the concentration recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

East Texas Water Quality under the oversight of ERI Consulting, Inc., a Tyler environmental engineering firm hired by the City, manually disinfected the water fixtures at Harvey Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 26. To date, ERI has flushed Harvey Hall’s water system, conducted a vigorous disinfection of the system, and disinfected all of the water fixtures, according to the city. “We got good results on Wednesday,” said Larry Snodgrass, President, ERI Consulting, Inc, as quoted in the release. “We flushed the system, disinfected the system and the fixtures and we are controlling the hot water in the building by turning it off.” Snodgrass also said ERI plans to flush the water system at Harvey Hall again on Wednesday prior to the Mistletoe and Magic event that begins that day.

The city is awaiting more test results from samples that needed to be cultured for two weeks. Officials say those results should be returned in about a week. The city recently closed Harvey temporarily following a Legionnaire’s outbreak that killed one person and sickened seven others. The facility was deemed safe and reopened to the public on November 25.