The harmful bacteria Legionella occurs naturally in water (including freshwater environments like lakes and streams) and thrives in hot or cold water systems, which means its growth is commonly found in piping in large buildings including hospitals, hotels, and apartment blocks. There are a variety of external factors that can lead to a Legionella infection in your building, these include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Construction
- Water main breaks
- Changes in municipal water quality
- Biofilm
- Scale and sediment
- Water temperature fluctuations
- pH fluctuations
- Inadequate levels of disinfectant
- Changes in water pressure
- Water stagnation
In water systems, Legionella thrives where the temperature is not kept at its optimal level. For cold water systems, the water should be kept at a certain cool temperature range, and for hot water systems, the water should not drop below a certain threshold. In other words, Legionella thrives in tepid water.