How to Remediate Legionella

You’ve had a Legionella test performed in your commercial or industrial building and the results indicated that unsafe concentrations of this pathogen are present in your water supply. It’s an unfortunate situation, but one that you need to act on quickly to prevent any of your building’s occupants from contracting Legionnaires disease. The CDC recommends a variety of control measures that should be implemented as Legionella remediation is underway, including:

• Restricting access to showers, hot tubs, drinking fountains, and other potable water systems where aerosolized droplets can cause infection
• Notifying all individuals who may have been exposed to infection
• Installing point-of-use microbial filters with a pore size of .2 microns or less on potable water systems, such as showerheads, that need to remain in use

In cases of widespread Legionella contamination, the CDC also recommends temporarily closing the facility or halting new admissions until the remediation is complete.

The Legionella Remediation Process

The right Legionella remediation solution will depend on a variety of factors, including the severity of contamination, the building’s engineering specifications, and local plumbing codes. Typically, the process involves introducing disinfectant, flushing unused plumbing systems, and physically cleaning water-using devices.

The goal of Legionella remediation is to eliminate contamination and make potable water systems safe. However, remediation does not prevent recurring contaminations. To ensure your building’s water remains safe, it’s recommended that you implement a water management plan (WMP), that includes ongoing monitoring of Legionella concentrations and procedures for managing contamination.

Contact the Legionella Experts at R2J

R2J is an industrial and commercial water treatment company with decades of experience handling Legionella contamination. In addition to testing and remediation solutions, we can implement the proven effective Legionella Assessment and Management Plan Support (LAMPS^®), to prevent outbreaks and interruptions to your business’ operations. Contact us today to learn more.