False.
Legionella bacterium is naturally occurring, so it’s not uncommon to detect low levels that don’t pose a threat to health. Instead, the goal of a water management plan is to proactively create a strategy for keeping those Legionella levels low, and put routine monitoring in place to mitigate risk, detect, and if needed, remediate your systems. As Solid Blend’s Doug Dolder said at our 2023 Water Management Summit,
“The goal is not zero Legionella. The goal is zero sickness.”
In March, more than 100 industry colleagues came together with us to learn about how to improve – or develop – Water Management Plans or Water Treatment Programs; how to protect facilities against waterborne pathogens; how the latest in Legionella compliance and legislation affects all of us, and so much more.
It’s an understatement to say the 2023 Water Management Summit was a success! We were honored to offer this resource to our colleagues, and it was so exciting to see others’ passion for safeguarding water with a common end goal of saving lives. This is why we do what we do.
If these photos give you a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out), don’t worry. You can watch the playback of the entire Water Management Summit here.
Here’s are some snapshots from our incredible day. Follow along and keep testing your water safety trivia knowledge, too. (We promise we’ll give you the answers!)
Red tape. Hoops to jump through. Checklists. All those things that feel overwhelming, Bryce Kerr with the Ohio Department of Health was one of our expert speakers at this year’s Summit, and he helped break down what can feel overwhelming into much more manageable steps.
1. Who are the three main parties involved in a legionellosis investigation? Keep reading to find the answer.
Janet Stout, Ph.D. with Special Pathogens Laboratory kicked things off with her B.H.A.G.
Still guessing what B.H.A.G. means? Big Hairy Audacious Goal. So, what’s the B.H.A.G.? To end Legionnaires’ disease. As another of our expert speakers, Dr. Stout emphasized proactive prevention, and gave us all a rundown on the science behind the spread of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens.
Janet Stout, Ph.D. with Special Pathogens Laboratory kicked things off with her B.H.A.G.
Still guessing what B.H.A.G. means? Big Hairy Audacious Goal. So, what’s the B.H.A.G.? To end Legionnaires’ disease. As another of our expert speakers, Dr. Stout emphasized proactive prevention, and gave us all a rundown on the science behind the spread of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens.
2. Is Legionella everywhere? (ubiquitous)
Dave Christophersen, CWT shared his expert insights on the importance of effective water treatment.
Water flows through your HVAC system, right? Kind of. Water isn’t just water – it’s dissolved solids, suspended solids, and dissolved gasses. Enter corrosion, scale, deposits, and microorganisms to the list of things that also flows through your HVAC system, jeopardizing the safety of your water and the efficient function of your system.. When it comes to measuring – and mitigating – risk, Dave broke it down into three categories we’ll now all remember as: W.O.E. Water quality and variability Operations and control Equipment used and system design. W.O.E. plus an effective, proactive Water Treatment Plan can help you keep your HVAC system protected, efficient, and most importantly, safe.
3. Groundwater in the Miami Valley is found in an underground river. True or False?
Panelists Shannon Drake with Danis and Danny McCloud from Kettering Health discussed their experiences with presumptive Legionella cases and answered any and all questions from our attendees. This was one of our favorite parts!
Our vendors had quite the set up! We loved seeing all our partners collaborating in one place.
We have the best team. We’re biased, but can you blame us?
All our guests walked away with their very own custom Solid Blend brews, not to mention a few other sweet giveaways (pun intended!).
So, after all that – what’s next? We’re glad you asked! It’s officially spring (hooray!) so it is time to take a look at your facility’s HVAC system.
Did you know? Before shutting down your boiler for the season, you need a proper layup to stop the spread of corrosion while idle. Likewise, your cooling tower should be inspected and disinfected prior to startup. These processes help keep your equipment functioning smoothly, and help protect your budge from expensive repairs, replacements, or higher energy costs.
Do you have your seasonal cleanings scheduled? Let’s chat!
Special thanks to all of our partners who made the 2023 Water Management Summit possible. See you next year!
Following our trivia? Answers below.
1. The facility, the local health district, and the Ohio Department of Health
2. No. About half of all buildings are colonized with Legionella.
3. False. It occupies tiny pore spaces in sand, gravel, and rock fractures.
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