Legionella bacteria can cause a lot of problems for hospitals. While the bacteria occurs naturally in the environment, it can cause Legionnaires' disease, a form of pneumonia that can be deadly. People with weakened immune systems — like many hospital patients — are especially susceptible to the disease.
Just this year, in fact, UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh found Legionella in three patient room sinks, causing the hospital to move 11 patients from the affected unit and take steps to cleanse its water supply.
According to an article in Water Technology, there are two immediate steps hospitals usually take when Legionella is found in the water:
- Superheat and flush the water supply and have infection control professionals document the process.
- Use hyperchlorination, which raises the chlorine levels for about one to two hours and kills the bacteria.
The article suggests the following three steps for longer-term solutions:
- Implementing a copper silver ionization system, which a 2011 review called "the best available technology today for controlling Legionella colonization in hospital water systems," according to the article.
- Using chlorine dioxide, a synthetic gas that can kill Legionella.
- Using monochloramine, a compound made by adding chlorine to a solution with ammonia.