Page 15 - Water_Controls_for_Public-Commercial

COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS
Water quality regulations /

WATER QUALITY: VARIOUS EUROPEAN MONITORING POLICIES

France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the majority of The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Ministry
European countries, each has their own specific regulatory of Health for the United Kingdom, has addressed the issue of tap

requirements for monitoring bacteria in water systems� and water system contamination by this bacteria.
These regulations have a common premise (circulating 4.1 million The Health Technical Memorandum (HTM 04-01),
loops, hot water temperatures, etc.) but they also have updated in 2017, provides guidance on best practice

specific aspects that could provide inspiration healthcare acquired for monitoring and testing for these two pathogens,
for other countries. infections in Europe and identifying the level of contamination in water,
In the majority of European countries there is a legal of which to ensure compliance with current regulations.
obligation to safeguard the bacteriological quality For Pseudomonas aeruginosa, action is initiated
of the water in the system by regular monitoring, 37,000 as soon as the alert level is reached, that is to say,
sampling and analysis� However, the methods, are fatal above 1 CFU/100mL.
and subsequent follow-up action, differ.
In Germany, in the framework of monitoring
In France, the search for legionella is obligatory. for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, hospitals and healthcare
st
The Directive of 1 February 2010 identifi es three levels establishments must test twice a year.
st
of monitoring and sampling protocols. Since 1 January 2012, The satisfactory level is 0 CFU/100mL.
monitoring has been extended to all buildings open to the public.
Germany has adopted the same threshold levels as France, while Remember that this bacteria which colonises the system from
the United Kingdom is stricter: it conducts additional testing the interior of tap/mixer spouts, rapidly becomes entrenched.
at levels over 100 Colony Forming Units per litre (CFU/L) 47% If no solution is put in place once Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and initiates curative procedures above 1,000 CFU/L. is established in a mixer or tap, it will progressively
of cases colonise the tails and pipework. At this stage it will be
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, considered the third of legionnaires impossible to eradicate and will become a threat
largest cause of fatal nosocomial infections, is also to the whole system.
being monitored. In France there aren't any regulations. disease are in public
Nevertheless, the technical guide "Water in healthcare or commercial
establishments", drawn up in 2005 by a working group places
under the aegis of the Ministry of Health, mentions
the monitoring levels for Bacillus pyocaneus (Pseudomonas).
This guide recommends quarterly checks of points where water is
considered to be representative of the actual quality of distributed
water.

Regardless of the material of which the pipework and
water controls are made, biofi lm will form in all sanitary
installations after a few weeks or months of operation.
BIOFILM
This biofilm is the source of one third of nosocomial

illnesses� According to the National Institute for Health
and Care Excellence (NICE, 2014), it is estimated that
300,000 patients in England acquire a nosocomial
infection as a result of care within the National Health
Service.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
(ECDC) calculates that healthcare-acquired infections
affect 4.1 million patients every year and are responsible Bacteria Free-floating
for 37,000 deaths annually. in BIOFILM bacteria
99.5% 0.5%
Not forgetting that non-healthcare buildings that
are open to the public are also at high risk. In effect,
according to statistics by the French Public Health
Board, 47% of Legionella cases identified in 2019 Hotels, tourist accommodation, campsites,

were linked to visits to hotels, tourist accommodation, swimming pools, stadiums, etc.
campsites, swimming pools and sports stadia,
compared to 11% linked to healthcare facilities are equally high risk.
(hospitals, retirement homes, etc.).

Solutions for Public and Commercial Places 13