A comprehensive water management program for multicampus healthcare facilities

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Hospital Water Management
• Infection Control

Background:

• Healthcare facilities face risks from waterborne pathogens.
• Effective water management programs are crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement an effective Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) program for waterborne pathogen control.
• To establish a comprehensive water management program (WMP) across a multicampus hospital network.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study involving 26 building water systems.
• Utilized the HACCP process to systematically identify and control waterborne hazards.
• Validated the WMP through microbiological, chemical, and disease surveillance data.

Main Results:

• Hazard analysis indicated good control of waterborne pathogens and overall water quality.
• Identified pressure tanks and electronic automatic faucets as requiring additional hazard control.
• No confirmed hospital-acquired legionellosis cases were substantiated by water testing.

Conclusions:

• The HACCP process proved practical and effective for long-term water system management.
• Emphasized critical control point management for temperature, flow, and chlorine residual.
• The study highlighted the need for ongoing hazard control for specific water system components.