New Zealand is the Legionnaire’s Disease capital of the world
A study concluded in the late 2010’s that New Zealand was the world's legionella epicentre. The legionella bacteria causes Legionnaire’s disease and it can be a killer, so this is what you need to know in relation to your plumbing. An incorrectly functioning hot water system can cause this bacteria to flourish.
What is Legionnaires' disease?
Legionnaires is a respiratory infection similar to pneumonia, which is caused by the inhalation of legionella bacteria. The disease is spread through breathing ‘spore mist’ which can be found in many New Zealand situations such as from air conditioning units, in compost and from badly designed and under heated plumbing in your home.
where can Legionnaires propagate?
In water, it is wholly related to the temperature. Legionnaires can only multiply in water between 20 degrees C and 45 degrees C.
Who is affected by Legionnaires disease?
Mostly people who are over 50 and people with chronic conditions.
This is situational and age-related: situational because older people garden more, and over 50s generally have a more sluggish immune system.
People with chronic illnesses, because their immune systems are already suppressed.
Heavy tobacco use and chronic lung disease can also play a role.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms are similar to flu or covid.
High temperature, fever and chills
Cough and shortness of breath
Headache
Muscle soreness
Developing pneumonia
Diarrhea
What are the treatments?
It is treated with antibiotics.
Where can legionella be found in your plumbing?
There are a few obvious places where legionella can breed in your home and there are a couple that are more insidious.
Legionella can be found in tepid standing water, heated/untreated fish tank, water storage tanks, water heaters, sinks, tubs, spa pools and shower heads.
A more insidious place is in deadlegs in your plumbing system. Redundant pipework from a renovation, for example, that has not been completely deleted,
Another place is a remote or barely used fixture, for example a guest bathroom. Tepid water can sit in these lines at the legionella breeding temperature.
How to kill legionella bacteria.
Simple way is to run hot water through your pipe work, to ensure that you have flushed away the offending water. (Ensure not to breath the mist). Running the hot tap until the water is at full heat should do the trick. Then run the cold for the same amount of time.
In your dead leg, it will be impossible to kill this bacteria, so we suggest a small plumbing modification to delete the offending pipework
In stored water it’s a little harder. In round figures, at 60 degrees C it takes 2 minutes to kill 90 percent of the bacteria, the balance will be gone within 30 minutes.
How can Archer Plumbing Solutions Ltd help?
We can offer advice on how to reduce your exposure to legionella bacteria, and provide cost effective solutions for its mitigation.
Contact us today on 0273486417 or click here