Points Of Risk
Learn to identify locations and potential causes of Legionella risks.
Outbreaks of Legionella bacteria, which can cause Legionnaires’ disease, are a particular concern at healthcare locations such as hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities. The potential for a widespread outbreak is also a challenge for buildings in the hospitality industry, such as hotels, motels, and resorts.
Successful mitigation of Legionella requires identifying where bacteria may exist in your water system, and understanding the underlying conditions that may allow outbreaks to occur.
Point of Source
These risks are located within the equipment
and plumbing that treat, conduct, and distribute
water throughout your facility. Evaluate how
your system takes incoming water from the
municipality and trace the flow from your
mechanical room into and out of such equipment
as heaters, chillers, and cisterns.
Point of Use
These risks are located wherever people
interact with the water distributed throughout
your facility. Obvious places to look are faucets,
showerheads, ice machines, drinking fountains,
and decorative fountains. But you will also want
to look at any equipment that uses water, such
as hot tubs and hydrotherapy spas.
Points of Condition
These risks are often overlooked… the
underlying conditions that can make your water
system more vulnerable to Legionella. These
conditions can exist in locations throughout your
facility including points of source and points
of use and are all precursors to a potential
Legionella outbreak and or recurrence.