Edmonton hotel fails health inspection after pigeons contaminate HVAC units
September 19, 2018 | By Jillian Morgan
A hotel in downtown Edmonton is dealing with unwanted guests of a different species.
The Hyatt Place Hotel at 9576 Jasper Avenue West failed an Environmental Public Health inspection in August–just two years after opening–when inspectors found pigeon feces and pigeons in the building’s HVAC roof top units.
Located on a semi-enclosed rooftop, the nine units were drawing fresh air from a space “heavily contaminated,” by the birds, according to a report by Alberta Health Services.
The report also found flaws in the hotel’s heating and ventilation system. Fans in the laundry room did not turn on when the commercial dryers were in use, and fresh air supply and return air vents were in close proximity to one another.
Carbon monoxide detectors in the parkade were also not calibrated and “it could not be guaranteed that the exhaust system was turning on as required.”
Water infiltration was found in various areas including the ceiling tiles, light fixtures and on walls throughout lower level hallways only accessible to the hotel’s staff.
Water staining was also found on the walls and floors in the parkade storage rooms, as well as in a public stairwell.
The province ordered the hotel’s owner to resolve the issues. www.albertahealthservices.ca
Check out “Birds foul up atmospheric hot water tank” from HPAC’s August issue for more on the value of regular inspections.
