Role of stagnation and obstruction of water flow in isolation of Legionella pneumophila from hospital plumbing

Abstract

The stagnation of water in two of four hospital hot-water storage tanks found to contain Legionella pneumophila was reduced by keeping the two tanks continually on-line for 1 year. L. pneumophila colony counts in these two tanks fell quickly to low levels, whereas the organisms persisted in the two tanks that were not in use. L. pneumophila continued to be isolated from 50 to 100% of the hospital showerheads which were sampled during this period. We also examined aerators and other hospital faucet fixtures which obstruct water flow. L. pneumophila was isolated from 22 of 30 faucet aerators and 2 of 16 vacuum breakers but not from 26 nonobstructed faucets or 6 backflow preventers. Over a 7-month period, after nine faucet aerators were sterilized, 10 of 60 surveillance cultures revealed L. pneumophila, despite the inability to isolate the organism from the potable-water tanks in use. These data suggest that prevention of stagnation in hot-water tanks may be effective in reducing L. pneumophila concentrations in potable-water systems serving high-risk populations. We have also shown that faucet aerators, by providing a surface for L. pneumophila to colonize, can become secondary reservoirs for the organism in hospital plumbing.