Step 5: Strategies for Risk Mitigation (Contingency Plans)

Step 5 of the water management plan is the creation and documentation of strategies for risk mitigation.  Known as “contingency plans”, these strategies of corrective actions are created to address any unforeseen event that could potentially increase liability.  For example, if water is tested and found to contain an unacceptable level of Legionella bacteria, then a re-active, contingency plan needs to be designed that will quickly address this issue.  The addition of chlorine or chloramines to help reduce bacteria may be the simple strategy corrective action.  On a larger scale, the use of copper-silver ionization may be determined cost-effective for the elimination of Legionella and be determined a corrective action.

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Note that the Legionella mitigation using heat and flush is generally not recommended. Hyperchlorination Legionella treatment may be considered, but one needs to be aware of its short term nature and potential issues. Practically speaking, continuous Legionella control methods may be more cost-effective and provide greater safety in the long term and should be considered in consultation with a Legionella expert.

Scale, or calcium build-up, inside water system piping may be identified as a potential risk.  Water system piping should be as smooth as possible to minimize the growth of pathogens and nesting of bugs.  Water softeners are critical part of a strategy to mitigate the risks of pathogens and bugs inside piping.

As new corrective action strategies are introduced to and agreed upon by the water management team, the contingency plans in the document should be amended.

If you need help designing a Water Management Program (WMP), contact us.  Legionella Control Systems offers consultation services to help you reduce water system vulnerability with programs that minimize capital risks, downtime and liability and keep your staff, patients and clients safe.  Contact us by email info@legionellacontrolsystems.com or call Legionella Control Systems at 888-416-8626.  Our engineers are the same people you get in the field when there is an issue or when you call our free, unlimited technical support.