Validation of an Innovative On-Line Legionella Detection Technology in Water-Cooling Systems

Bacteria of the Legionella family are known to grow in water-cooling systems, where conditions are favourable. Because these bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease (Legionellosis), the owners of such systems are bound by legal obligations. Currently, the only accepted method for the legal requirements for quantifying Legionella in all type of water-cooling systems—growth on a culture medium—can take up to 14 days to obtain results, which does not allow proactiveness. The technology tested in this project, the BioAlert Lp15™ by BioAlert Solutions, is a fully automated, on-site equipment that samples, quantifies, and sends a Legionella result within four hours. The technology showcase project described herein has demonstrated the applicability of the equipment in heavy industry environments as it was possible to establish a control and action chart based on the daily results obtained with the BioAlert Lp15™. This instrument provides numerous benefits, such as a lower risk of Legionella exposure, better understanding of the Legionella metabolism and its influencing factors, improved operational practices and, finally, reduced impacts on production.