The Water Drop™: Season 2, Episode 2

Considerations When Building a Water Management Program Team

A Water Management Program Team is a collection of individuals that is responsible for the water management practices within a building. ASHRAE requires that it is composed of a variety of different skillsets. Somebody with knowledge of the plumbing system, somebody with knowledge of Legionella and infection diseases, and somebody with knowledge of Legionella control. It really is a committee of sorts that is all responsible for reducing the risk and spread of waterborne pathogens within a facility. A third party is definitely an aspect of that, and a lot of times it is a member of that water management program team. What you want to look for is first certifications. There is ASSE 12080 which is a certification of Legionella specialty, and that is the nation’s only certifications right now. Previously, you used to have a lot of  people say: “Yeah I know a little bit about the ~Legionellas~ and I can do all this stuff and come in and help you, yeah I am a Water Treater, I test chemicals in pools, I can absolutely help you out”. It is becoming more and more of a practice and a speciality, so what you want to do is understand some of their experiences. Tell me about a situation where you have helped somebody like me with their Legionella prevention, testing, and even remediation practices. In summary, it is about getting to the root cause. It’s about digging in and asking a few questions. What kind of testing do you do? What kind of experience? What are your best practices and  your opinions? Then, getting a sense for what that looks like and you really want somebody who’s primary business is Legionella control and prevention.

Who is on your Water Management Program Team? Do you have one?