Previously we discussed the benefits of water treatment for extending the life of your existing HVAC system. However, water treatment is also extremely important in order to protect public health.
Legionella, an airborne bacteria, forms in untreated complex water systems, specifically cooling towers and domestic hot water boilers. Legionairre's disease is a severe type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. In untreated systems, Legionella escapes into the air and has a negative and severe impact public health. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in every 10 people who contract Legionairre's disease will die from the infection.
Due to the airborne nature of Legionella, residents of a property are not the only population at risk from untreated water. The neighboring general public can be affected as well. Historically, cooling towers have been the cause of numerous outbreaks of Legionella, impacting the public at adjacent bus stops and other nearby public spaces.
Overall, the benefits of water treatment on your heating and cooling systems far outweigh the potential health effects in the surrounding community.
