Don’t Drink the Water, State Building Staff Told

Employees in the downtown Los Angeles State Building were instructed Thursday not to use drinking fountains because the water may be contaminated.

Bottled water dispensers were set up throughout the nine-story building and notices were posted warning employees and the public not to drink from the fountains “because of present ongoing investigation and testing of the water system.”

Testing, which was prompted by an accident in July, has revealed high levels of nitrate in samples of water taken from the building, a spokeswoman for the state General Services Department said. A technician with the testing firm cautioned, however, that the results are not conclusive because the samples included a blend of industrial and drinking water. Additional tests will be run.

On July 19, a water line from an air conditioning duct malfunctioned, raising concerns about whether drinking water was contaminated.