PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — Oakland County workers tasked with responding to the recent Legionnaire’s disease outbreak faced tough questions Tuesday as the county expands its testing plans for additional buildings.
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While Legionella bacteria levels are declining with remediation, there are still no clear dates on when testing will expand beyond the two sites already tested.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Oakland Co. did not have a plan to routinely test water in buildings prior to Legionella discovery
Lisa Brown, Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds, was clearly furious after listening to the county’s presentation on Legionella recently found in county buildings during the Board of Commissioners Public Health and Safety Committee meeting on Tuesday.
“We’re here every day. Every day. That wasn’t important to protect my staff? To protect our customers, one of whom died in April? Nobody answered why! Why this [Board of Commission] was the only place that got filters?” asked Brown during public comment at the end of the meeting.
Earlier during the commission committee meeting, County Risk Management Director Diana McBroom said the county acted “immediately” when they learned a custodial employee working in the sheriff’s headquarters was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease on November 6, 2025. Legionnaires’ is a type of pneumonia caused by inhaling infected water droplets.
VIDEO: Ask Dr. Nandi: What is Legionnaires' Disease?
“Basically, risk management approached it from a workplace safety and worker safety perspective. We also facilitated internal communications,” said McBroom.
But Commission Minority Caucus Chair Commissioner Michael Spisz (R-Oxford) questioned why there was a 19-day delay from that diagnosis before the Oakland County Health Division started testing for Legionella in the Sheriff’s office.
“Why so long? Right? I meet daily when we have issues like this. Daily. So I don't understand the time,” said Spisz.
Despite that November employee diagnosis and a Legionnaires’ case from a man who visited the courthouse last April, testing at the courthouse was not done until December 15, 2025, and filters still have not been installed in some places in the court complex.
“December 11th, we had a board meeting here. We had filters, but the rest of the facility did not. That doesn't make sense,” said Spisz. “Is it really that difficult to put a filter on a faucet?”
On Tuesday, county employees shared more details about the amount of Legionella found and the plans for ongoing testing in their buildings.
“I do love this opportunity to be able to remind everyone that the risk of infection from Legionella bacteria is incredibly low. And so if you look at the number of cases we've had across Oakland County for 2025, we have 41 cases of Legionellosis in the entire year. And from exposure that could have happened at the courthouse in April, we didn't have another case identified between April and now. So the risk level in this building itself, we as a team, identified it to be very low risk to the staff and the public coming in,” said Oakland County Health Officer Kate Guzman.
The county still has only tested one loop of plumbing in the courthouse tower, with no clear dates on when they will test other parts of the complex or other buildings.
PREVIOUS REPORT: 'Inexcusable.' County leaders frustrated over delay in Legionnaires' response
Brown also told commissioners that communication from the county on the outbreak has been lacking.
“We have received more emails, I think about the county chili cook off than we have about Legionella and how to be safe, or that it’s not a big dea,l which was kind of the feeling that I got from what was presented over here, try working in this building and see if you feel the same way,” said Brown.
RAW VIDEO: Oakland County Clerk speaks to commissioners about Legionella outbreak
The 7 Investigators have been asking since early December about when the county plans to test the jail, since the jail has both showers and cooling towers at that facility, two things that are common sites where you can find legionella bacteria.
While the jail’s water system has been flushed, there is still no set date on when the testing will occur, but it is planned soon.
The county also announced Tuesday that they’re creating a water safety committee and a water management plan to prevent this from occurring again in the future.