As any responsible person will know, there are some obvious places that legionella bacteria can be found, and these places need to be tested and kept clean on a regular basis. They include cold water storage tanks, cooling towers, calorifiers, and showers among others. These will be high on your radar as the person who is in charge of the health and safety within your building, but there are other places you need to consider might be harbouring legionella and potentially will need to be tested as well. If you’re unsure, it’s best to speak to your expert water hygiene company to find out more.
Hot Tubs
How hot do you think the water in a hot tub actually is? In most cases, it will be around 36 or 37 degrees. This is the perfect temperature for people to have a good relax and to enjoy the hot tub to its full potential. However, the problem is that this is also the perfect temperature for legionella bacteria to proliferate. What makes this worse is that a hot tub, by its very nature, will be causing an aerosol as the water is bubbling around. Anyone in or even close to the hot tub could easily breathe in infected water droplets.
Swimming Pools
Although the temperature of a swimming pool is much lower than that found in a hot tub, legionella bacteria can still grow there. It is especially prevalent if there are puddles of water on the floor – these can become very dirty and legionella bacteria can grow rapidly.
The good news is, these puddles are not often breathed in – if ever! That doesn’t mean the legionella within them is any less dangerous, but it does mean that it will cause fewer problems on the whole. It is still wise to test to be sure, however.
A Hosepipe
A hosepipe isn’t something to be worried about, surely? In terms of legionella, it most certainly is. The problem comes because water sits in the hose for days, weeks, even months if it is not used on a regular basis. Therefore, the first time it is used after a while, that water that comes out will be stagnant, and probably full of legionella.
Since the hose can be used with a spray head, danger will be present. You may not find it necessary to have your hosepipe tested for legionella, but something you can do is to let the hose run once a day to clear any stagnant water and reduce the risk of legionella being present.
Contact Us
If you have any concerns about your water systems and you aren’t sure whether you should be testing for legionella bacteria, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are available for advice and for more practical help such as testing, training, and risk assessments.