Study legionella, develop analysis methods and optimize the safety of the facilities
Prevent legionella risks
Legionella
Legionella are bacteria present in the natural environment. They can be found in lakes, rivers, humid soil etc. Their specific characteristic is that they multiply and colonize certain artificial water milieus such as domestic hot water networks (which supply showers and baths) and cooling towers (which emit plume containing suspended water droplets).
Inhaling these droplets, when heavily contaminated by pathogenic legionella, can cause legionnaire's disease, which is not contagious but can provoke serious pulmonary infection, lethal in 10% of the cases. It is therefore important to prevent legionella from proliferating in the equipment managed by Veolia Environnement.
A guide on best practices created using the Group's multi-disciplinary expertise (thermal, hydraulic, water treatment, analysis) helps hot water network and energy facility operators manage this health risk. It is continually upgraded by our experience feedback, technological and regulatory watch and R&D efforts.
In short
Domestic hot water networks (pilot)
Our research aims at preventing legionella from developing in the domestic hot water networks (DHWN) and cooling towers (CT) operated by the Group as well as enhancing our understanding of infection risks:
- participate in studies to improve our knowledge of legionella and amoeba;
- develop rapid detection and quantification analysis methods;
- evaluate the performance of decontamination processes;
- search for innovative solutions to fight against biofilm;
- test materials for DHWNs;
- optimize hot water production configurations.
IN 2007, THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH WAS VALIDATED:
- an alternative chemical biocide to treat CTs;
- the Group's biocidal strategy in CTs;
- preventative cleaning procedures in CTs;
- PCR tools to characterize the main amoeba species in DHWNs;
- anti-amoeba treatments in DHWNs.