Feature
Could Remote Monitoring be the Answer to Legionella Prevention?
By Uwe Klatt, Vice President of Sales at Disruptive Technologies
Legionella prevention is one of the many ongoing concerns that facilities managers have to deal with. In normal circumstances, when offices, schools, hotels and shops are occupied and busy, it’s something that needs to be monitored but that will largely take care of itself. Regular pipework flushing to prevent the pathogen forming in under utilised taps and outlets may still be required. The problem is that the last twelve months have been far from ‘normal’. With the various periods of lockdown seeing public spaces abandoned for prolonged intervals, disused pipework could easily become home to the bacteria. Indeed, data from The Lancet¹ suggests that the potential for a legionnaire’s disease outbreak this spring is very real.
The application of smart tech for legionella management
So, what can facilities managers do to minimise the risk? Is there an easier way to manage legionella prevention? »
Smart technology, powered by the Internet of Things (IoT), has become an increasingly valuable resource in facilities management. With the power to monitor and control energy use, building health, and a range of cost-saving and sustainability features, from any location, smart tech streamlines and simplifies previously time-hungry activities. With remote monitoring, legionella control instantly becomes simpler, more effective and less wasteful.
The key advantages of smart monitoring in legionella control »
Essential maintenance compliance adherence – Legionella
bacteria only breed in temperatures between 20-45°C. Below 20°C the bacteria is dormant. Above 60°C, it dies. To ensure a healthy plumbing system, facilities managers need to ensure that water flow does not remain within the temperature danger zone. Temperature monitoring provides real-time data, allowing managers to take the relevant preventative action when it is required and reduces the amount of manual monitoring needed.
12 fmuk Remote monitoring also provides human resource
efficiency, by streamlining procedures and automating required reports that provides a data trail for when manual flushing was undertaken allows a reduction in engineer visits, they may only need to visit site once a year rather than 12 times a year, saving fuel and manpower.²
» Waste reduction – Along with temperature control,
the regular flushing of pipework has become a standard practice for organisations seeking to prevent a legionella outbreak. While essential to protect the public, this practice is also incredibly wasteful, leading to the unnecessary use of thousands of gallons of water. Smart monitoring can prevent this. By tracking the water flow of individual taps, facilities managers are able to avoid full system flushing, and instead focus on the areas that need attention. In hospitals, schools, shopping centres, and other public spaces with multiple water outlets, this has the potential to save both enormous amounts of water, and significant amounts of time.
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