6 Things You Should Know About Legionella

Just last August, about 120 people in the South Bronx were infected with Legionnaires’ Disease and 12 people died. At the time, up to 5 cooling towers in the area tested positive for Legionella, a fatal bacteria that grows in warm, damp environments and can spread once contaminated water has become aerosolized and the vapor is inhaled.

In this post, we’ll be discussing where Legionella can be found and in our infographic, we’re sharing 6 things you should know about this hazardous bacteria.

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), temperatures of 32°C-40°C (90°-105°F) are ideal for growth and rust, scale and the presence of other microorganisms also promote growth. Legionella can occur in any location where water is warm and has potential to become aerosolized or misted. 

Some environments where Legionella can be found are in:

•  Cooling towers
•  Hot water tanks
•  Large air conditioning systems
•  Humidifiers
•  Whirlpool spas
•  Hot water systems
•  Ice making machines

During last year’s Legionella outbreaks in the South Bronx, large cooling towers from local hotels, hospitals, and educational facilities were found to be responsible for contaminating the outdoor air quality and infecting the community. “The scary part of it is that 40% to 60% of cooling towers, through different studies, have shown that they’re positive for Legionella,” said Ray Field, Chemical Expert, during a podcast last year discussing the issue.

Find out more about Goodway Cooling Tower Cleaning Solutions.

There are several other important things you should know about Legionella before tackling sick cooling towers that may be infected. View our infographic to see 6 more facts about Legionella.

Next steps:

Download Goodway’s 6 Facts About Legionella infographic containing information from trusted Legionella sources here.