What Are the Suggested Response Activities for Legionella Control Following a Legionella Test?
If your Legionella test shows that you do not have Legionella under control, the CDC offers several suggested activities which are listed below. It is important that you consult with the experts at Legionella Control Systems to identify the correct Legionella control activities for your particular facility and situation.
The suggested responses from the CDC presume that you have a water management program (WMP) as the first step. If you do not, contact Legionella Control Systems immediately regarding the development of your WMP.
Suggested response activities for Legionella control:
- Review sample collection, handling, and testing for potential errors in the Legionella testing sample collection.
- Confirm that all system equipment is in good working order and functioning as intended.
- Review your records to confirm that the water management program (WMP) was implemented as designed.
- Review your assumptions about operating conditions, such as physical and chemical characteristics of incoming water.
- Re-evaluate fundamental aspects of your WMP, including the analysis of hazardous conditions, cleaning, maintenance procedures, chemical treatment, and other aspects that could affect Legionella testing.
- Adjust your WMP as necessary to address any deficiencies identified.
If, based on the evaluation, Legionella control treatment is needed, Legionella Control Systems will recommend and implement the Legionella treatment option upon your approval. The CDC recommends waiting at least 48 hours after the system returns to normal operating conditions and then retesting a set of representative samples to confirm the effectiveness of the response.
If you operate healthcare facilities or facilities with populations at increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease, consider implementing control measures immediately to protect people from exposure to water aerosols while implementing the guidance above.
The CDC makes it clear: If the root causes of Legionella growth are not identified and controlled, Legionella growth is likely to reoccur. This is why you need a comprehensive engineering site visit followed by a defensible WMP for Legionella including control measures from Legionella Control Systems. Legionella is a naturally occurring bacteria that will continue to enter your water systems from water sources, so it must be dealt with on an ongoing basis. There are no silver bullets or one-time quick fixes. Legionella Control Systems can provide both the WMP and the ongoing Legionella control options.
