Water Treatment for Legionella Control

At warm temperatures (25–50°C) they begin to multiply and to grow. If water containing Legionella bacteria is sprayed, infectious aerosols are produced. These aerosols can cause severe or fatal pneumonia when inhaled! Critical sources of legionellosis include buildings with long, irregularly used water pipes (such as hotels or hospitals), evaporative cooling systems and HVAC equipment. The operator of such a source is obliged to ensure hygienic operation and to protect the environment from aerosols containing legionella.
Choosing the right water treatment method is not easy. The best method requires as few technical installations as possible and causes neither corrosion nor environmentally problematic side effects. This can be achieved, e.g. thermally, by regularly raising the water temperature in an affected system above 60 degrees Celsius.
Where this is not reliably possible for technical or economic reasons, recourse should be made to a suitable disinfectant.
With the help of Sanosil disinfectants, this can be done easily – without expensive technical installations or in-depth technical knowledge.
When it comes to water disinfection / water treatment against legionella, Sanosil disinfectants based on boosted and stabilized hydrogen peroxide offer some unbeatable advantages.

• Sanosil disinfectants are based on stabilised and „tuned“ hydrogen peroxide. This is not only very effective against biofilms, legionella and other water germs, but also completely decomposes into water and oxygen after use.
• Sanosil disinfectants do not form trihalomethanes / AOX (toxic by-products such as chloroform or bromoform) which are problematic for humans and the environment. This makes them superior to other oxidising biocides in the fight against legionella.
• Sanosil disinfectants do not require complicated technical aids such as chlorine dioxide or hypochlorous acid produced on site. A simple dosing pump or a proportional dosing device is sufficient. This enables legionella control even with mobile dosing stations.
• They are already effective in low dosages. This means that in many cases they have a less corrosive effect on pipes and water installations than other products.
• Sanosil disinfectants do not cause a VBNC state (viable but not cultivable) of the bacteria in the treated systems. This is a particular advantage if, in addition to Legionella, other bacteria such as Pseudomonas are defined as targets for control. While other disinfectants often only cause a kind of hibernation of the bacteria, Sanosil disinfectants lead to a complete disintegration of the bacterial DNA.

How to test water for legionella?

Where there is a risk of legionella in the water, regular testing should be carried out. These legionella tests are often offered and carried out as a service by contract laboratories. Where this is not possible, D.I.Y antibody tests can also be purchased. These tests are very easy to use. However, attention must be paid to the detection radius and sensitivity of the test. Depending on whether cooling water or shower and bath water is to be tested for Legionella, a different sensitivity applies.
However, the test procedure is the same for both: a water sample is concentrated by filtering and an antibody solution is added. The sample is then dropped onto the analysis area of the test kit. 10 minutes later, the result can be easily read.