Is Legionella Lurking in Hot Tubs and Other Water Sources in Puerto Rico?

Legionella is a type of bacteria that are found naturally in the environment, especially in warm water, that can cause a life-threatening form of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that between 8,000 and 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease each year in the United States.
 
People get Legionnaires’ disease when they breathe in a mist or water droplets that have been contaminated with the bacteria.  Certain groups of people are more likely to become seriously ill when infected with Legionella.  They include individuals who are 65 years of age or older, smokers, people with chronic lung disease and individuals with weakened immune systems.
 
Manmade water sources, such as hot tubs, that are not cleaned and disinfected properly, can become contaminated with the bacteria. Legionella has also been found in cooling towers, plumbing systems, and decorative pools or fountains.
 
“Hotels and private residences with hot tubs need to be aware of the importance of properly maintaining and disinfecting the water,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental.  “Maintaining the right disinfectant and pH levels in hot tubs is essential for protecting people from exposure risks. Pool test strips can be used to check the water for adequate chlorine or bromine and pH levels. If improper levels are found, do not use the hot tub until the water chemistry have been corrected.”
 
The Legionella experts at Zimmetry offer testing and consulting services to identify the bacteria in hot tubs, cooling towers and other manmade plumbing and water sources. Information from testing can help prevent an outbreak or pinpoint the source of the bacteria if an outbreak has already occurred.
 
To learn more about Zimmetry’s air, water, environmental, occupational, and compliance testing and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies.  The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America.  The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

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Paul Cochrane

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