How to Control Legionella in Water Systems

Legionella, the bacteria causing the notorious Legionnaires’ disease, is a touchy subject. While it may sound like a bit of a killjoy, one cannot simply ignore its potential presence in your water systems. 

No matter the size or complexity of your building’s water system, Legionella has this uncanny knack for making a cozy home if you don’t take the right steps to show it the door. And remember, in the realm of water systems, negligence can lead to some seriously damp consequences.

What Is Legionnaires’ Disease?

Legionnaires’ disease isn’t your everyday cough or cold - it’s a serious and often severe type of pneumonia, and it’s caused by the Legionella bacteria. How do people contract it? Unfortunately, simply by inhaling water droplets containing these unruly microbes. 

This villain introduces itself with debilitating symptoms, such as high fevers, muscle pain, and shortness of breath. If you believe you’re suffering from this disease, it’s vital that you seek medical attention right away. It pays to be knowledgeable about these things, and that’s the purpose of this guide.

Understanding what Legionnaires’ disease is and how it spreads is pivotal to its prevention. Be it a corner shop or a multi-story office building, no business is immune. That’s why it’s of utmost importance to have a solid grasp of the disease and its potential impact on your premises. After all, knowledge is power when it comes to keeping this unwelcome visitor away from your water systems.

Your Starting Point: Legionella Control Plan

How to kick Legionella out of your water system? Step one is always a risk assessment. It’s like giving your water system a full body checkup. And here’s the good news: this is not just good advice. 

It’s a legal requirement under health and safety law in many places. This assessment will shine a spotlight on potential dangers and guide you on the steps to take to curb the risks.

Have a Clear Picture of Your Water System

A keen understanding of your water system is pivotal to ensuring effective control. For this, a full schematic or blueprint of your water system is a valuable resource. Like the layout of a treasure map, it can help you pinpoint potential areas of stagnant water, seldom-used outlets, or even redundant pipework.

Eliminating Legionella Risks: An Active Approach

Having identified potential hotspots, it’s time to take proactive measures to minimize or eliminate associated risks. Those redundant pipes? Give them the boot. They foster stagnant water and biofilms, which are basically Legionella’s luxury condos. 

Similarly, underused water outlets can turn into Legionella’s favorite pool party venues. By incorporating regular flushing into your Legionella control and maintenance plan, you can kick out the party crashers before they settle in.

Appoint the Right Person for Legionella Control

Designating an appropriate person to oversee Legionella control is as crucial as having a skilled captain steering the ship. This responsible individual should possess a mix of experience, knowledge, and ongoing training to ensure they’re up-to-date with the best strategies and tactics in Legionella control.

Keeping an Eye on Water System Alterations

The water system in your building isn’t set in stone. Over time, upgrades might be needed, obsolete components might be removed, or entirely new components might be added. 

But here’s the kicker: Any changes could potentially upset the equilibrium, inviting our unwanted guest, Legionella, to make itself at home. So before you charge ahead with the sledgehammer, take a moment to seek expert advice.

A professional can help assess the impact of proposed alterations, offering insights on how these changes might affect the Legionella risk level. They’ll be able to pinpoint any potential pitfalls, guiding you on the best ways to implement changes safely. 

As well as safeguarding your system, this approach can save you from unnecessary and costly future interventions. It’s like having a trustworthy co-pilot on your journey toward a Legionella-free water system.

Maintaining Optimal Water Temperatures

In the fight against Legionella, water temperature plays a critical role. It’s the equivalent of the tuner on your favorite musical instrument. Cold water should be kept cold, ideally below 20°C/68°F, while hot water should be steaming away at temperatures above 50°C/122°F (or even 55°C/131°F in healthcare settings).

Just as a well-tuned instrument hits all the right notes, perfectly regulated water temperatures can keep Legionella from belting out its greatest hits in your water systems. Regular checks of your water temperatures, particularly at outlets, can help ensure your system stays Legionella-free.

Embrace a Regular Legionella Maintenance and Cleaning Program

Let’s get real. When it comes to combating Legionella, a sporadic approach doesn’t cut it. It’s an ongoing battle, requiring a routine of regular maintenance, cleaning, and disinfection that blankets the entire water system. 

This commitment to routine helps to keep Legionella populations at their lowest possible levels, preventing them from gaining a stronghold in your water system.

Consider enhancing your approach with a water filtration system. By filtering the water as it enters your system, you can deal a blow to external contaminants that could potentially encourage biofilms, Legionella’s loyal minions. A comprehensive maintenance and cleaning program is your best line of defense against a Legionella invasion.

Carrying Out Regular Water Quality Testing

Ever fancied yourself a bit of a detective? Well, in the fight against Legionella, you get to play Sherlock Holmes. Regular water quality testing is akin to examining the crime scene, keeping tabs on the effectiveness of your Legionella control measures.

Testing helps ensure that Legionella isn’t quietly multiplying in a corner while you’re high-fiving your team over another Legionella-free report elsewhere. To keep your detective work on point, consider partnering with a professional company for water testing. 

They’ll have the expertise, equipment, and impartiality to accurately monitor your water system. Not only will this save you time, but it can also offer peace of mind, preventing any unwelcome Legionella surprises from sneaking up on you.

In Closing

Controlling Legionella is a comprehensive, ongoing process. It requires vigilance, a proper understanding of your water systems, appropriate risk assessments, and, crucially, a dedication to regular maintenance and checks. 

But remember, it’s far easier to control Legionella than it is to deal with the fallout of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. So why not stay ahead of the game?