William Beaumont Army Medical Center is operating in a limited fashion after finding contaminated water within its facility, according to a press release. Staff members identified debris in their water on March 25, prompting the medical center to test it. At the time, it was indicated that the water quality issue was isolated to one department of the hospital. After additional testing, staff identified evidence of discoloration and sediment in the water within other departments of the facility.  

After testing the external water supply feeding the hospital, it was confirmed that water coming from the city of El Paso is not an issue and that the discoloration and sediment lie within the hospital’s internal plumbing system.  

The medical center’s environmental health team found that there are no pathogenic or biological concerns to the water, but out of caution, the hospital commander declared the hospital water not safe for drinking and sterile procedures. The hospital will continue limited operations, diverting trauma cases to other area hospitals, postponing elective surgeries and sterilizing all equipment in a separate off-site facility.