As legionella testing requirements property, you are legally required to assess, and then control the risks of legionella to your tenants. This is a two-pronged process that includes a physical inspection of your water system and an examination of your records to verify management procedures. You also need to take into account the level of risk of your system and the regulations in place in your industry and country. This may mean that you need to test more frequently than other facilities, for example hotels or hospitals that have vulnerable customers and patients, or where the system is older and potentially at higher risk of stagnation and contamination.
You can use a number of methods to detect legionella in water samples, and most of these are performed in a laboratory setting. The laboratory culture method is still considered the gold standard, but it’s not without its limitations. Water management professionals are increasingly seeking new and innovative testing techniques that are more flexible and can offer quicker and more accurate results.
Meeting Legionella Testing Requirements: Ensuring Water Safety
One such approach is a rapid swab test, which can identify both live and dead legionella bacteria. However, this method does not replace a robust sampling program and UKAS-accredited laboratory certification; it also requires an experienced person to interpret the results, as it cannot yet detect all legionella serogroups.