DNR Employees Raise Sanitation Concerns Over Hot Water Outage, Secretary Addresses Staff Following Report Annapolis News Inquiry
One day after Report Annapolis News contacted DNR regarding the employees’ concerns, DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz sent a message to employees acknowledging the lack of hot water and outlining the state’s plans for a temporary repair.
The building, located at 580 Taylor Avenue, currently does not have hot water. DNR and the Maryland Department of General Services confirmed that the issue was first reported to DNR’s Supportive Services division earlier this month.
Employees who contacted Report Annapolis News expressed concern not only about the lack of hot water, but also about what they described as dismissive or sarcastic responses when workers sought information about when the problem would be corrected.
According to information provided to Report Annapolis News, several employees had questioned the building coordinator about the outage.
Employees said workers were told, in one response, that “the soap is what kills the germs, not the hot water.” They also said the building coordinator indicated he had been receiving a “run around” regarding the problem but did not identify who was responsible for the delay.
The employees’ outreach prompted Report Annapolis News to contact DNR seeking information about the duration of the outage, sanitation conditions, responsibility for the repairs, communication with employees and when hot water was expected to return.
Secretary Addresses DNR Employees
The following day, Secretary Kurtz sent an email addressed to the “DNR Team,” telling employees that DNR’s Supportive Services division had been notified earlier in the month about the lack of hot water at the Tawes Building.
Secretary Kurtz said DNR immediately notified the Department of General Services, which owns and manages the building, and requested that the problem be fixed.
His message said DGS investigated the problem and determined that a heating element was malfunctioning in the building’s hot water system.
Secretary Kurtz told employees that DGS had informed DNR that a temporary repair would be made Monday and that the repair should restore hot water to sinks throughout the building. A permanent repair is expected in October.
In the meantime, according to the Secretary’s email, DGS is placing hand sanitizer in bathrooms to supplement existing soap dispensers.
Secretary Kurtz also cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance indicating that washing hands with soap and either hot or cold water is effective in preventing the spread of germs.
“We will continue to work with DGS to fix the problem and limit any inconvenience caused by this issue,” Secretary Kurtz told employees.
The email was sent one day after Report Annapolis News reached out to DNR regarding the hot water outage and employee concerns.
State Confirms Delayed Replacement Part
In a formal response to Report Annapolis News, DNR and DGS provided additional details about what caused the outage.
According to the agencies, DGS contacted a contractor after the disruption occurred. The contractor initially believed a fuse on the hot water heater had failed, but further investigation determined that the heating element was not functioning properly.
A replacement part had initially been expected to arrive September 14. The manufacturer later indicated that the part would not arrive until October 14. DGS said its Office of Facilities Management has remained in regular contact with the contractor in an effort to expedite the process.
DGS’s Office of Facilities Management is responsible for maintaining the Tawes Building’s plumbing and hot water systems. The work is managed in conjunction with Constellation and specialized plumbing vendors. State officials said the matter was formally reported and that DGS has been working to return the system to service.
Employees Raised Sanitation and Communication Concerns
Although the state’s response emphasized that employees continue to have access to running water and soap, the workers who contacted Report Annapolis News raised broader concerns.
Their concerns included how long the building had been without hot water, when employees were formally informed about the problem, the uncertainty surrounding the repair timeline and how questions from employees were reportedly handled.
DNR and DGS said running water and soap remain available in all bathrooms and that hand sanitizer stations are located throughout the building. The agencies also cited CDC guidance that soap with either cold or warm water is effective for handwashing.
DNR nevertheless told Report Annapolis News that it was not aware of any formal complaints from employees associated with sanitation conditions regarding the lack of hot water at the building.
Multiple employees contacted Report Annapolis News with concerns about conditions inside the building, and employees reported that workers had already questioned building personnel about the outage. Whether those concerns were submitted through an official state complaint process is a separate question from whether employees had been voicing concerns.
DNR said employees working from the Tawes Building were formally notified by email during the week of September 21 about the outage and told that DGS planned to have a temporary fix in place Monday.
State officials said a temporary replacement part is expected to be delivered and installed Monday, September 28. Once the permanent part arrives, the temporary component will be replaced.
Governor’s Office Also Contacted
Report Annapolis News also contacted the Office of Governor Wes Moore seeking broader information about the administration’s expectations for safe and sanitary workplace conditions in state facilities.
The inquiry asked about procedures for addressing unresolved facility concerns, mechanisms available to state employees who believe workplace concerns have not been adequately addressed and the administration’s role in ensuring state agencies have the resources and support necessary to maintain appropriate working conditions.
The Governor’s Office has not yet provided a response specifically to those questions, although the office has acknowledged the inquiry.
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