Water Management Program
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires Medicare certified healthcare facilities to have water management policies and procedures to reduce the risk of growth and spread of Legionella in building water systems. Surveyors will review policies, procedures, and reports documenting water management implementation results to verify facility compliance.
Our Water Management Programs provide you the following services:
We Use CDC ELITE Labs for Testing and Results and CDC Approved On-site PCR Testing for Legionella
Although Legionella lives in a wide variety of freshwater habitats, it can be difficult to isolate. The Environmental Legionella Isolation Techniques Evaluation (ELITE) Program was created as a way for laboratories to test their Legionella isolation techniques against standardized samples.
Q: What does it mean if the lab I am using is not on the ELITE Members List?
A: It depends on the reason for testing environmental samples for the presence of Legionella. If you need samples tested during an investigation into cases of disease, you should consider using an ELITE member laboratory. This will ensure that the laboratory understands the extra measures needed to secure an environmental isolate for public health investigations.
Read more from the CDC ELITE website.
Interpretation of Test Results
We provide you a personal review of your facility test results. We will examine with you all possible treatment solutions and create a firm action response plan for responding to any current or future positive test results.
Each testing sample will yield three data points:
20-30% of the 3,000 tests we have performed to date tested positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1.
Treatment
Legionella will develop either under or adhering to biofilm buildup within the water system. Effective treatment of Legionella requires the removal of biofilm from the facility water system. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends the following removal techniques:
Based on our over 37 years of experience, a single positive test in a facility is frequently corrected by either of the Superheat treatment methods. Cluster groups of positive Legionella (at least three positive Legionella tests in a given area of the facility) typically require Hyperchlorination as the initial option for remediation. Contact us for questions regarding any of these treatment applications.
Legionnaires’ Disease By The Numbers
Legionella Accredited Sources
Use the following links to download information from Legionella accredited sources.
CDC Water Management Program – Resource Page
Click for more information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Requirements for Healthcare Facilities – CMS Regulation Memo
Click to read the CMS requirements to reduce Legionella risk in healthcare facility water systems
Standard 188 – Provided by ASHRAE
ASHRAE provided information regarding Legionella