FAQ

Water treatment is the foundation to maintain clean heat transfer surfaces found in process and HVAC equipment and maintain bacteria control. Solid Blend provides environmentally safe water treatment and Legionella monitoring to reduce the risk of waterborne pathogens to ensure that the water in your facility is safer than ever.

Solid Blend visits your facility to develop a customized plan that ensures the maximum efficiency of your water system. No two water treatment plans are alike, and it is important that your program is customized to maintain your system.

Solid Blend services cooling towers, steam boilers, closed loops, glycol systems, water pre-treatment systems and more.

Solid Blend utilizes the latest, innovative solid chemistry solutions to treat scale, corrosion, and microbiological concerns. Solid chemistry replaces heavy, hard-to-move, hazardous chemical-filled drums with fully recyclable bottles, discs, or tabs you can safely hold in your hand. Solid chemistry gives you and your team more sustainable, cost-effective, and most importantly, safer operations.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services require long-term care facilities and hospitals to implement an ASHRAE 188-compliant water management program to reduce the risk of Legionella in their buildings.

Comprehensive Water Management Programs are in alignment with The Joint Commission Standard Environment of Care (EC) 02.05.02 which was subsequently approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and went into effect on January 1, 2022.

Developing a site-specific Water Management Plan coupled with routine Legionella testing will greatly reduce the risk of Legionella.

Based on the size and complexity of a building, a thorough environmental assessment can take 1 to 8 hours to complete. Your CDC-aligned site-specific water management plan will include all flow diagrams, and tailored control measures that can be created following a thorough environmental assessment.

Yes! The Joint Commission and the CMS mandate require facilities to consider the ASHRAE 188 standard when creating a water management plan. Our water management plan was created using this standard and audited by our ASSE/IAPMO Certified Legionella Water Safety & Management Specialists. ODH has reviewed and approved our water management plans.

Our water management plans are robust, but not cumbersome. While every building has different risk factors which require an individual water management plan, the control measures are standardized.   This ensures a comprehensive and standard program across all buildings.

Specifically, you are testing for the species of Legionella pneumophila and other waterborne pathogens.  Sero group number 1 of this species is currently associated with the most causes of illness. Solid Blend test for Sero groups 1 to 16.

We can also provide testing for other waterborne disease and hazardous contaminants in water.

Legionella is a waterborne pathogen that causes Legionellosis, Legionnaires’ disease, and Pontiac fever. There are 50 species and 70 serogroups identified of Legionella, and it is most commonly found in water systems. Outbreaks are typically caused by inadequately maintained potable water systems and cooling towers.

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by the bacterium Legionella. Individuals can become ill after inhaling tiny droplets of water or accidentally swallowing water that contains Legionella into their lungs.

The CMS mandate does not specifically require testing. However, it does point to the state and local health department and their individual requirements. Solid Blend can help you determine if you need to test. Often times we recommend no less than testing once per quarter to monitor the growth of Legionella bacteria in your water system.

Do not panic. Not every positive result needs a full-blown case investigation and remediation. Trust the Solid Blend case managers to help guide you. We are available 24/7 to assist and keep your facility running smoothly.

We believe in a proactive vs. a reactive approach. Your risk is significantly mitigated if you test routinely so you can detect Legionella early on in smaller numbers, when intervention is necessarily minimal. Water Management Plans are considered the number one defense in preventing Legionella.

Our Legionella services cover the entire spectrum, including consulting, environmental site assessments to determine Legionella risk, water management plan development, and a plan to address the risks, monitoring, investigations, remediation, and prevention.

Solid Blend’s remediation process is not a silver bullet approach and may include various tools to eliminate Legionella problems. Our remedial processes are reliable and affordable technologies that can eliminate Legionella bacteria in all systems.

There are some very expensive options on the market for Legionella prevention. They all have their advantages and disadvantages.  The Solid Blend experts will determine the best process for your facility to mitigate Legionella growth.

It is essential that you choose a company with professionals who have the latest training, knowledge and certifications necessary. The most recent professional qualification standard is the ASSE 12080 Legionella Water Safety and Management Specialist certification. Solid Blend is proud to have professionals with this distinguished certification.

Solid Blend offers complete remediation consultation, communication with necessary agencies, and recommendations on next steps.  Solid Blend provides a full Legionella investigation and further testing done onsite with same day results.