But moisture likely coming from ground, consultant says

To little surprise, recent air quality tests at the Peachtree City Police Headquarters confirmed the presence of mold.

Although the air samples showed “fungal particulate” at levels lower than or comparable to that found in outside air, mold is growing in the building and has to be cleaned routinely, according to the report filed by Eagle Indoor Air.

The Eagle consultant surmises that the building’s moisture problem is due to groundwater seeping into the building, as the humidity inside the building is high, topping out at 80 percent in one room. Indoor humidity ideally should be between 35 and 50 percent, according to Eagle.

“No mold mitigation/remediation program will be successful until the source of the moisture is located and eliminated,” the report stated, recommending further geotechnical work. “The building should be aggressively dehumidified to keep mold growth to a minimum and to preserve sensitive equipment, evidence and other items.”

The station opened in 2001 and was built on a tract of land formerly used as a dump adjacent to the city’s original wastewater treatment plant off Ga. Highway 74 south of Kelly Drive. Former and current city officials indicate the building was not constructed on top of a dump area.

The contractor on the project was Leslie Contracting and the engineering firm responsible for design was Don Cobb and Associates.

In addition to the geotechnical work, Eagle is recommending that the water be tested for hazardous materials.

“No major water issues stemming from leaks, storm water damage or other obvious culprits could be found,” the report said. “The water infiltrating the building is likely groundwater; it is possible that the old landfill near the building has trapped a large amount of moisture. This moisture could now be seeping into the building.”

The city has set aside $300,000 in this year’s budget for repairs to the police station to fix the moisture problem, though that is a ballpark figure not based on any specific plan to upgrade the facility to address the issue.

“We are committed to solving the moisture problems at the building,” said Mayor Harold Logsdon. “While it should be reassuring to employees working in the police station that the air quality does not pose a hazard, the city will continue to address the moisture problems.”

The moisture problems have caused multiple problems with the building, including the bubbling of carpet adhesive, damp drywall and warped wood fixtures. In one room, a number of law books had to be thrown out because they were so overcome by mold, and others had to be meticulously cleaned.