Hospital legionella control on the incoming potable line
Hospital Legionella control was failing at an Indiana hospital, where quarterly tests showed Legionella above the 1 CFU/mL target, with contamination averaging 7 CFU/mL. Flushing and equipment replacement were expensive, and a $75,000 treatment system was being considered. In July 2022, as a 90-day proof of concept, a HydroFLOW® i100 was installed on the four inch potable water line entering the building, with a HydroFLOW® S38 serving 14 ice machines. Counts fell to 1 CFU/mL or non-detectable within 16 days, measured against the hospital’s own target, and the $75,000 system was not needed.
The Challenge
- Hospital Legionella control was failing, with quarterly tests above the 1 CFU/mL target
- Average contamination had reached 7 CFU/mL
- Flushing and equipment replacement were expensive
- A $75,000 treatment system was being considered
- The result had to be proven within a 90-day window
The Solution
- Unit installed: 1 × HydroFLOW® i100 and 1 × HydroFLOW® S38
- Installation point: i100 on the incoming potable main; S38 serving 14 ice machines
- Pipe size: four inch
- Installed: July 2022
- Trial: 90-day proof of concept
The i100 went on the incoming main without cutting the pipe or shutting off supply to the wards, so the proof of concept could start in the middle of a normal operating month. The S38 covered the 14 ice machines. Treatment reduces the biofilm growth linked to Legionella, and hospital Legionella control was then tracked against the 1 CFU/mL target.
