Prevent legionella in your home's water systems

What is legionella and what risks does it pose?

Legionella is a constant threat in any plumbing and heating system, yet it often flies under the radar in private households.

Legionella bacteria is responsible for causing Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially fatal form of pneumonia. Everyone is susceptible but the risk of infection increases with age and other risk factors. The disease has traditionally been associated with larger commercial and public buildings, such as hotels and hospitals, with the bacteria usually found in purpose-built water systems, including cooling towers and spa pools. However, the risks legionella poses are much closer to home than many realise. Bacteria can breed in the pipework of any plumbing and hot water system, including those found in domestic properties, be they single houses or apartment blocks. The risk tends to increase in line with the age of a building, especially if its plumbing hasn’t been modernised. On the flip side of this, old properties that have had modifications to their plumbing systems over the years can also be a risk, as then there may be ‘dead legs’ in the system where bacteria will breed.

Even though it can be deadly to vulnerable groups and the elderly, awareness of the initial signs of infection is not present in all segments of the population. People contract Legionnaires’ disease from breathing in the water-borne bacteria and often dismiss any mild symptoms as a common cold or flu. Cases are growing in number across Europe and consequently there is now greater scrutiny on the issue, which can be seen in the EU Drinking Water Directive. Stark warnings from the World Health Organisation (WHO) also deem legionella infection the highest health burden of waterborne pathogens in the EU. It states that: “since many countries lack appropriate methods of diagnosing the infection…the rate of occurrence is unknown.”

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control released statistics showing how widespread the issue is across the continent, with France, Germany, Italy and Spain accounting for 72 percent of all notified cases. Legionella Control International puts the 30,000 cases across Europe down to warmer, wetter conditions in natural water sources, as well as an ageing population – those most likely to become seriously ill from the disease.

Hidden risks in the home

With the summer months approaching and people leaving homes behind for holidays abroad, the risk of Legionnaires’ disease is increasing. Stagnant water in unused showers, for example, provides an ideal environment for legionella to multiply.

But it can also occur in other parts of the home. The build-up of sludge and sediment in un-flushed water systems provides the perfect conditions for the bacteria to spread, dispersing in droplets when taps, showers and other appliances are eventually turned on. So, what can homeowners do to prevent these bacteria growing in the first place and design out the possibility of legionella forming in their homes for good?

Designing out legionella requires smart pumps

Along with this, you can also go one step further by recommending and switch to innovative pumps, such as Wilo’s Star-Z NOVA T, to prevent legionella taking hold and to reduce the chances of people contracting the disease.

Designed for private households, this specialized Wilo pump safeguards hot water and drinking water systems giving you peace of mind by switching on as soon as it detects that the system temperature falls below 55°C. A built-in time switch means water is circulating round the system regularly, and gets to the tap quickly when the demand for hot water is high, for example, in the mornings where typically there is a higher usage across taps and showers. This also results in another benefit of less water being wasted.