The new William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, is operating in a "limited fashion" after discovering contaminated water at the hospital.
The problem started March 25 when staff members of one department found debris in the water, according to a news release from Fort Bliss, the army post where the hospital is located. The hospital found discoloration and sediment in other departments of the hospital on April 6 after performing additional testing.
The hospital's environmental team did not find any pathogenic or biological concerns, but the hospital commander decided the water is not safe for drinking or for sterile procedures.
Trauma cases are being sent to other hospitals, nonurgent surgeries are being postponed, and the sterilization of equipment is happening at an off-site facility. The hospital is giving bottled water to patients and staff for drinking.
The $1.5 billion hospital opened in July, the El Paso Times reported April 8.