According to the American Hospital Association, nearly 37 million people are admitted to a hospital every year in the United States. Hospitals and health care facilities have a more varied population than other buildings due to the range of ages and the conditions for which patients are treated.
These facilities have complex water systems that require consistent management and oversight by facility staff. Managing the operation of these water systems can especially be a challenge for facilities that do not have the support of their network to implement needed repairs or replace equipment. Consequently, inadequately maintained health care facilities have been the source of waterborne diseases such as Legionnaires’ disease: an acute respiratory disease caused by Legionella bacteria.