Therapy Pool Legionella & Microbiology Testing
Is your therapy pool safe and in compliance with regulatory code?
The risk of Legionnaires’ Disease due to the exposure of contaminated therapy pools is well recognized (see ASHRAE Guideline 12-2020 and ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2021).
Therapy pools typically operate at temperatures ideal for growth of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens. In fact, Legionella pneumophila has been isolated from a hospital physiotherapy pool.* As a result, therapy pools are often regulated by many state and local governments. Therapy pools in rehab facilities pose additional risks since they offer hydrotherapy for patients who may have underlying conditions that make them more susceptible to Legionnaires’ Disease and other infectious diseases. These preventable dangers can create legal liability and expense for your facility. You can prevent the risk to your patients and your facility by taking action now. Learn how our therapy pool Legionella & other microbiology tests can help you assess your therapy pool’s risk of disease, in the context of your Legionella Water Management Program.
* Marrie, T.J., R. Gass, R. Sumarah, and L. Yates. 1987. Legionella pneumophila in a Physiotherapy Pool. Eur. J. Clinical. Microbiol. 6 (2): 213-214.
Our Therapy Pool Legionella & Other Microbiology Tests
can help you stay code compliant and determine your Therapy Pool’s risk for Legionnaires’ Disease
Dr. Richard Miller and his Environmental Safety Technologies team are hot tub and whirlpool spa microbiology specialists. They have the experience and credentials to help you protect hot tubs everywhere from Legionnaires’ Disease bacteria. With over 40 years of experience in research in the field as well as speaking at conferences, having articles and papers published, Dr. Richard Miller has earned the title of Dr. Legionella™ ! He has sat as the chair of the Whirlpool Spa subcommittees of ASHRAE Guideline 12-2000 and ANSI-ASHRAE Standard 188-2015. If you need Dr. Legionella™ and his team’s help with cases at your facility please click here to learn about our Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Specialist Response Service.
Below is some information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s announcement for pool and hot tub operators.
How is Legionella spread in hot tubs and therapy pools?
Legionella is naturally found in water, especially warm water. Hot tubs (or therapy pools) that are not cleaned and disinfected enough can become contaminated with Legionella. A person can get infected with Legionella when they breathe in steam or mist from a contaminated hot tub.
How do I protect myself, my family, and others?
Because warm water temperatures make it hard to maintain the disinfectant levels needed to kill germs like Legionella, making sure that the hot tub or therapy pool has the right disinfectant and pH levels is essential. Our Therapy Pool Legionella and Other Microbiology Tests can help determine where you stand.
What can Dr. Legionella™ and the EST Team do to help?
What can Dr. Legionella™ and the EST Team do to help?
Therapy Pool Legionella & Microbiology Testing
These microbiology tests provide everything that you need to know, to determine if your spa is code compliant and safe from Legionella and other disease-causing bacteria, by including results with interpretation and recommendations. All tests can be run from one 250 ml water sample submitted to EST’s Laboratory.
Regulatory Therapy Pool Testing (for State, County or City Code)
- Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) – Aerobic Bacterial Count – provides a measure of the chlorine or bromine disinfection adequacy in the spa. Should be < 200 cfu/ml (colony forming units per milliliter. EST recommends WEEKLY sampling unless otherwise directed by code.
- Escherichia coli ( coli) and Total coliforms– public health indicator organisms that are a measure of the contamination of the spa water with bacteria from human feces. The E. coli. should be None Detected or < 0.01 cfu/ml. EST recommends WEEKLY testing unless otherwise directed by code.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa – a serious human pathogen for both normal and immunocompromised individuals. This pathogen should also be None Detected or < 0.1 cfu/ml. EST recommends MONTHLY testing unless otherwise directed by code.
Legionella Therapy Pool Testing (for ASHRAE-188 Water Management Programs)
- Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1– Primary Legionnaires disease pathogen should be None Detected or < 0.1 cfu/ml. EST recommends QUARTERLY testing unless otherwise directed by your Water Management Program.
- Legionella pneumophila serogroups 2-14 –Important Legionnaires disease pathogen should be < 1 cfu/ml. EST recommends QUARTERLY testing unless otherwise directed by your Water Management Program.
- Legionella (other species)– Important Legionnaires disease pathogen should be < 1 cfu/ml. EST recommends QUARTERLY testing unless otherwise directed by your Water Management Program.
Other Pool Spa-Transmitted Pathogens Testing (as required or requested)
- NTM Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium– a group of several different species (Total NTM, M. avium and M. chimaera) that are found in Therapy Pools and are serious human pathogens for both normal and immunocompromised individuals. Should be None Detected or < 0.1 cfu/ml. EST recommends QUARTERLY testing unless otherwise directed by code.