There are specialist consultants who are well versed in the prevention , detection and elimination of Legionella outbreaks , and almost every hotel group , cruise line , gym group , hospital group , and – yes – residential estate has systems in place to protect their guests , clients and / or residents . So , what follows is probably nothing new , but it bears repetition .
UV radiation of all water entering the system is a good first barrier , but it may not be 100 % effective , so the two main preventive strategies are to reduce stagnation , and to ensure water is kept below or above the temperature in which Legionella thrives . The hot-water system is usually the most risky , so the most obvious precaution is to store hot water at or above 60 ° C , and to deliver it to users at a minimum of 50 ° C . It is also a good idea to install a ring main to keep hot water moving steadily and constantly through the building – this also reduces electricity bills . If you are doing any remodelling of plumbing systems , ensure that you don ’ t leave any ‘ dead legs ’ or uncapped pipes , as these can become icky stagnant reservoirs of all kinds of nasty things – including , possibly , Legionella .
Respiratory System
It ’ s usually easier for cold-water systems , where the safe temperature in storage tanks is anything below 20 ° C , but in the warmer parts of the country , unheated water can easily reach , and exceed , 20 ° C . Also , it ’ s important to keep all storage tanks covered to prevent contamination . And , remember , Legionella likes water that remains uncirculated for long periods , so keep all stored water moving .
Other possible strategies include :
•• the use of biocidal metal ions like copper or silver
•• ozone treatment
•• installing ultraviolet ( UV ) radiation at the point of entry
•• periodic pasteurisation by heating the water to 70 ° C for 24 hours , and then flushing all the taps in the system
•• regular visual inspection
•• regular maintenance procedures like periodic draining , descaling and cleaning of hot-water storage tanks .
But , despite all these precautionary measures , it is still necessary to do regular checks . You should send water samples to an independent , accredited laboratory for assessment at regular intervals . Many organisations – for example , all Marriott hotels worldwide – do monthly tests as part of their routine Legionella management programme . This is , according to Moodley , the gold standard , or best practice , but you could safely do it less frequently if based on a site-specific Legionella risk assessment and tailor-made policy .
Play it safe
Because we have systems in place that protect us from these nasty pathogens , it ’ s easy to forget about them and become complacent , but that would be a bad idea . The Legionella prevention protocols are there for a good reason – to protect your residents , guests and clients from a nasty disease , and also to protect your organisation from some very serious economic and PR fallout should you fail to keep Legionella out of your estate facilities .
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The elderly , smokers , and people with a weakened immune system are more suscepitble to contacting the disease
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