Introducing Chlorine Dioxide

4 July 2023
Legionella control, Uncategorised, Water Treatment

Water Systems in Sports Facilities: Introducing Chlorine dioxide

Introduction Chlorine dioxide:

As experts in water hygiene and Legionella risk management, Dantek provides effective solutions for maintaining clean and safe water systems in sports facilities. In the sports industry, controlling Legionella in water systems is crucial to protect the health and well-being of athletes, staff, and visitors. While temperature control is often the primary method, situations may arise where it is not feasible to control the risk with this method. In these situations, Chlorine dioxide is a highly effective means of control that can be used to make water systems safe to use once again.

The Importance of Chlorine Dioxide Dosage:

Chlorine dioxide dosage has proven to be an extremely effective tool in combating Legionella growth and ensuring water system safety. It eliminates Legionella bacteria, prevents their multiplication, and minimizes the risk of Legionnaires’ disease transmission. In cases where temperature control is challenging or not an option, chlorine dioxide dosage provides a practical and effective solution. In addition to its bactericidal properties it also possesses the capability to remove biofilm. Biofilm is a slimy layer formed by microorganisms that can attach to the inner surfaces of pipes, tanks, and other components within water systems. It provides a protective environment for Legionella bacteria to thrive and multiply, making biofilm control crucial in Legionella management.

Important Considerations for Legionella Control:

Before installing a unit, it is crucial to conduct a comprehensive review of the water risk assessment and the existing control regime. This review helps identify potential areas of concern and determines the appropriate dosage requirements for effective Legionella control. In cases where control is lost, certain initial steps should be taken, such as reviewing the number and locations of samples taken and assessing the percentage of failures in the sampling process. It is particularly important to focus on water systems where the treatment regime, including factors like temperature and disinfectant concentrations, is not consistently achieving the desired control levels. Alongside the thorough review of the system and treatment regimes, frequent testing should be carried out, ideally on a weekly basis, to provide early warning signs of control loss. Once the system is successfully brought back under control, as evidenced by monitoring results, it is advisable to reassess the frequency of testing.

Implementing Regular Legionella Testing:

While chlorine dioxide dosage is an effective control measure, it should be complemented with regular legionella testing. Legionella testing serves as an interim safety check until a viable control solution, such as chlorine dioxide dosage, is fully implemented. Regular testing helps monitor the effectiveness of the control measures and ensures the ongoing safety of the water system.

Proven Effectiveness in Legionella Control:

Chlorine dioxide dosage has established itself as a highly effective solution for controlling Legionella in domestic water systems. Its implementation significantly reduces the risk of Legionella contamination, providing reassurance to facility owners and operators.

The benefits of using for Legionella control are numerous:

Reduced Chemical Handling Issues: Chlorine dioxide is derived from relatively safe precursor chemicals, such as CDA (Chlorine Dioxide Activator) and CDB (Chlorine Dioxide Base). These are weak solutions of acid and salt, making them easy to handle and minimizing chemical handling concerns.
Enhanced Oxidative Power: Approximately 2.6 times the oxidative power of chlorine. This increased potency enables it to effectively kill Legionella bacteria within drinking water limits.
Biofilm Removal: Has the ability to remove biofilm, a slimy layer that provides a habitat for Legionella bacteria. By eliminating biofilm, chlorine dioxide disrupts the conditions conducive to Legionella growth, further enhancing the efficacy of Legionella control measures.
On-Site Testing and Safety Verification: It is easy to test for on-site. This enables swift verification of safety through a simple on-site test, providing timely feedback on the effectiveness of Legionella control efforts.
Compliance with Standards: The chemicals used for generation, CDA and CDB, comply with BS EN 1278 standards. This compliance ensures that effective levels of chlorine dioxide can be continuously dosed into drinking water supplies, meeting the necessary regulatory requirements.
Low Ongoing Chemical Costs: CDA and CDB efficiently treat a large volume of water, resulting in cost-effective Legionella control. This helps minimize ongoing chemical expenses associated with maintaining water system safety.
High-Quality Equipment Installation: Dantek provides chlorine dioxide solutions and installs top-of-the-range equipment to ensure the generation of the purest chlorine dioxide. This minimizes the production of by-products like chlorite and chlorate, further enhancing the safety and quality of the treated water.

By leveraging these benefits, chlorine dioxide dosage proves to be a reliable and efficient approach to Legionella control, offering peace of mind to those responsible for the safety of water systems.

Flexible Application:

Dosage can be applied in various water system configurations, making it adaptable to different sports facility settings. Whether it is a small training center or a large stadium, chlorine dioxide dosage can be tailored to suit specific requirements.

Continuous Protection:

Once the dosage is implemented, it provides continuous protection against Legionella growth. By regularly dosing the water system with chlorine dioxide, the risk of Legionella multiplication is effectively minimized, ensuring a safer water supply for athletes and visitors.

System Overview and Installation:

Dantek specializes in the installation of chlorine dioxide units specifically designed to address problematic systems that have tested positive for Legionella. Our units are meticulously engineered to generate automatically, providing a reliable and uninterrupted disinfection process.

To ensure maximum effectiveness, our team of experts conducts a comprehensive site survey, carefully assessing the specific requirements of each installation. This survey helps determine the optimal location for the unit, taking into account factors such as water flow, system design, and accessibility.

We understand that every water system is unique, which is why we offer customizable installation options. These options include integrating pulsed water meters, delayed action ball valves, or CLO2 aqua cells. By incorporating these components, we enable precise dosage control, ensuring the accurate and uniform dispersion throughout the water volume. This meticulous control over chemical dosage enhances the overall efficiency of the disinfection process.

We recognize the importance of correctly sizing the system and understanding the limitations of an installation. This is an area where other contractors often fall short. At Dantek, we prioritize accurate system sizing, ensuring that the unit is appropriately matched to the specific requirements of the water system. By doing so, we maximize the effectiveness of the installation and provide our clients with a solution tailored to their needs.

With our expertise and attention to detail, Dantek delivers reliable and efficient chlorine dioxide installations, addressing Legionella concerns effectively and preventing future occurrences.

Compliance and Safety Measures:

Dantek is dedicated to upholding regulatory guidelines and industry best practices, prioritizing the safety and compliance of our installations. Our proposed system strictly aligns with the recommendations set forth by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), guaranteeing continuous monitoring of chlorine dioxide levels to remain below the maximum allowable limit.

To ensure the safety and accuracy of the dosage, our system incorporates reliable measuring cells that prevent overdosage. These high-quality measuring cells provide precise and real-time monitoring, allowing for immediate adjustments if necessary. By implementing this safety cut-off system, we prioritize the well-being of both the water system and its users. We handle all aspects of the installation process, providing the necessary materials and skilled labour to ensure a hassle-free experience for our clients.

Rental Units:

To address immediate Legionella control issues, Dantek offers rental chlorine dioxide units that can be swiftly deployed to your sports facility. Renting eliminates the need for significant upfront capital expenses associated with purchasing and installing new equipment, allowing you to allocate your resources more efficiently while benefiting from effective Legionella control measures. Our rental units are designed to achieve and maintain legislative compliance, creating a safe and compliant environment for athletes and visitors. Additionally, chlorine dioxide treatment can lead to reduced running costs, and our rental units generate the highest purity for maximum effectiveness.

By implementing chlorine dioxide dosage as an effective Legionella control measure, sports facilities can ensure clean and safe water systems for athletes, staff, and visitors. Dantek’s expertise in water hygiene and Legionella risk management, along with our tailored solutions and rental units, enables us to support the sports industry in maintaining Legionella-free water systems. Contact our team to learn more and safeguard the health and well-being of everyone in your sports facility.

To learn more about chlorine dioxide units and how they can benefit your facility, contact us today https://www.dantekenvironmental.co.uk/contact-us/ at 01454 417 920 or email sales@dantek.co.uk.

Additional information can be found https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg274part2.pdf

Meet our team – Water hygiene technician, Luke

23 March 2023
People, Recruitment

Luke joined Dantek as a trainee water hygiene technician in 2022. Having passed his level 1 training within 6 months of joining he has shown great technical ability and commitment to learning.

Let’s get to know him.

Tell us about your role at Dantek?

I am a field-based water hygiene technician, my day-to-day tasks consist of temperature monitoring,
completing tank cleaning, and disinfections, TMV servicing, closed system analysis, and showerhead
cleaning.

What 3 things do you enjoy most about what you do?

1. No two days/jobs are the same. I love the variation it brings.
2. The variety of tasks is fantastic. I can be temperature monitoring in the morning at a high street retail unit and completing closed system analysis at a formula 1 race track in the afternoon.
3. The constant learning opportunities that are given to me.

What do you enjoy the most about working at Dantek?

The people! The whole company consists of a great team who are passionate about what they do. We all strive to help each other and teach the wider community about legionella control and the industry as a whole.

Tell us about your proudest professional achievement.

I joined Dantek as a trainee water hygiene technician and recently passed my Level 1 training. Every member of the team helped me to achieve this from my engineer teammates to the management team.

What advice would you give to people looking to join Dantek?

Immerse yourself in it and learn as much as possible. Dont be afraid if the industry is new to you.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I’m passionate about all sport’s, Long dog walks and outdoor activities that help me to keep an active state of mind.

Which of the Dantek core values resonates most with you and why?

Curiosity! I am driven to learn the industry more and more every day.

Legionella control FAQs

14 March 2023
Legionella control, Legionella Risk Assessment, Legionnaires disease

Legionella control FAQs

What is Legionnaires’ Disease?

Legionella control FAQs – Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal pneumonia caused by bacteria called Legionella pneumophila. Exposure to the Legionella bacterium can happen when you inhale contaminated mist or breathe in droplets of water contaminated by the bacteria.

There are many ways to prevent legionnaires’ disease, including routine inspection, temperature monitoring, and maintenance of cooling towers, water tanks, and plumbing systems.

Legionella control FAQs

Who can catch Legionnaires’ disease?

Everyone is potentially susceptible to infection, but some people are at a higher risk e.g. those over 45 years of age, smokers and heavy drinkers, those suffering from chronic respiratory or kidney disease, and people whose immune system is impaired. Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease may include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness.

Where is legionella found?

Legionella bacteria (legionella pneumophila) are common in natural water courses such as rivers and ponds. Since legionella is widespread in the environment, they may contaminate and grow in man-made water systems such as cooling towers and hot and cold-water services. Spa baths, Jacuzzi’s and hot tubs also provide a potential breeding ground for legionella bacteria as they provide optimum conditions for the bacteria to grow and multiply to sufficient numbers for a system to be colonised.

The bacteria thrives at temperatures between 20 and 45 degrees, particularly if there is a supply of nutrients such as rust, sludge, scale, algae, and other bacteria.

The risk of legionnaires’ disease is increased if water droplets are produced and dispersed in aerosol form for example, in a shower or spa bath.

It is possible to reduce the risk by removing exposure to water droplets and aerosol and by removing the nutrients on which the legionella bacteria feed. This can be done by keeping water systems clean by cleaning and disinfecting cold water storage tanks and showerheads.

How do I the with latest HSE guidance?

The current HSE guidance documents for the legionella control are the L8 Approved Code of Practice and the HSG274 Legionella technical guidance.

The first thing to do is a Legionella Risk Assessment, to consider the risks from legionella that may affect your staff or members of the public, and then take suitable precautions to control and prevent the risk.

Is it a legal requirement to have a legionella risk assessment?

There is a legal duty for employers and landlords to consider the risk legionella bacteria in buildings under your control or management. You must identify and assess the source of risk i.e carry out a legionella risk assessment. Manage the risk. Put in place measures to control or prevent any risks. Keep good records to prove you are taking the appropriate action and to show to external agencies you are following the HSE guidance for legionella control.

What can be used to control legionella bacteria?

Temperature is usually used in hot and cold-water systems, by keeping hot water at above 60 degrees and ensuring it is above 50 degrees at the outlets. Cold water should be kept below 20°c.

There are other methods that can be used if the temperature is not an option, such as copper/silver ionisation and chlorine dioxide. Cooling towers/systems are often treated with biocides. There are other treatment strategies available such as ultraviolet (UV) irradiation.

Do I need to take Legionella samples?

This depends on the risk assessment and control methods being used. In some circumstances it will be required, however, it needs to be done at a UKAS accredited laboratory and will require specialist help. Dantek can provide advice on sample frequency and locations, and what to do if Legionella is detected.

Routine Legionella testing however is not a requirement in domestic hot and cold-water systems. It would only be recommended in hot and cold-water systems due to exceptional circumstances where typical control measures are not working. A full legionella risk assessment would identify the best course of action to reduce the risk.

What will a legionella risk assessment cost?

The cost will depend on what assets are on your site and how many buildings. For large sites or multi-site portfolios a site visit by one of our team is the best way to establish exactly how much a risk assessment will cost. However, we are often able to provide a guide price if you know roughly the size and type of building. For example, how many floors, what it is used for, whether there are any cold-water storage tanks, number of calorifiers and if there are any cooling towers. An asset register of plant and equipment can be very helpful in determining how long the on-site assessment will take and therefore the cost.

One of our team would be happy to talk through on the phone any requirements and enquiries.

What do Landlords need to do about Legionella control?

The law clearly states if you are a Landlord and rent out your property then you have a duty under Health and Safety Law to consider the risk posed by Legionella bacteria. The ACoP L8 (3rd edition) also states Landlords must assess the risk from exposure to legionella to their tenants.

In most cases the risk assessment is simple and straight forward, however for more complex systems or if the Landlord is not able / competent to carry out the assessment they can use a specialist Water Treatment Company like Dantek, to carry out the legionella risk assessments and advise on any actions required.

A simple risk assessment will identify if a system is considered a low legionella risk and no further actions are required other than to review the assessment regularly in case anything changes which may affect the risk for example the water system in the building changes.

Examples of low risk systems include;

A small building occupied by people not considered at risk from legionella bacteria.
Where there is enough usage of water per day to ensure the entire system is changed at least once.
Mains fed cold water supplies the entire system, so there are no cold-water storage tanks.
Hot water is fed from combi boilers/ instantaneous heaters or low volume water heater where the hot water is supplied at no less than 50°c
The only outlets at the property are toilets and wash hand basins with no showers present on site.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/legionella-landlords-responsibilities.htm

What is meant by the term water system?

A water system includes all plant and equipment for example all the pipework, pumps, cold water storage tanks, valves, showers, water softeners, chillers, heat exchangers, cooling towers, calorifiers, little used outlets and dead legs, humidifiers, air washes, car washes, indoor fountains and water features.

How do I choose a water hygiene company?

Choosing a water hygiene company with the knowledge and skills to manage and control the risk of legionnaires’ disease at your site is made easier with the help of the Legionella Control Association. The LCA hold a register of members who have met their requirements on an annual basis and have passed their annual audit of systems.

A key factor should be the training of site staff to carry out water hygiene work competently. A provider will be able to demonstrate how their employees are trained and audited to ensure continual compliance with current standards.

The LCA code of conduct sets out the standard of service a client should expect from a water hygiene provider. The code requires a Service Provider to set up an appropriate management system for the control of legionella complying with the latest HSE guidance for the control of legionella bacteria.

How many cases of Legionnaires Disease were there last year?

The figures from 2021 – 2022 are not available yet however between 1^st January – 31^st October 2020 according to a report by Public Health England, there were 254 cases of Legionellosis cases reported in England and Wales.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948028/Legionella_Mthly_Rprt-Aggregate_rprt_Jan-Oct20.pdf

If you have any questions in regards to Legionella control FAQs or any other questions, please do not hesitate to call us on 01454 417 920