Water Management

We underestimate the tenacity of our waterborne pathogens.  They endure.  A recent paper by William Stribling and team from the Multi-Drug-Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network in the US illustrates just how persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be in an in-premise water system. The authors note that the “hallmark of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lies in its remarkable […]

Congratulations to the Royal Society for Public Health who organised an insightful lunchtime webinar on 3rd September 2025 (https://www.rsph.org.uk/events/) delivered by Professor Michael Gormley from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh and chaired by Dr Susanne Surman-Lee (lead author of NETB 2024/3).  The topic was “Managing the Risk from Drains and Wastewater in Healthcare Premises.”  It is clear

The Harper Water team are active within Project Water Safety Groups in several new build and refurbishment projects impacting high risk patient groups such as adult and neonatal intensive care, oncology and transplant.  These projects have enabled broader Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) learning and experience to best support engineering, microbiology and hygiene measures.  Understanding NTM prevalence

Flushing outlets within healthcare facilities is a commonly undertaken measure that involves discharging a volume of water – hot and cold – at selected locations as a compensating behaviour and to reduce hazards such as stagnancy, poor water quality indicators (microorganisms, turbidity, odour, taste), engineering works, commissioning and handover phases of new equipment, a new

Effective operational management and use of in-premise hot and cold water systems is essential to reduce risk of waterborne pathogen colonisation, amplification and transmission.  The most commonly adopted primary control measures are maintaining hot and cold water temperatures and ensuring adequate volume throughput.  In some countries, including the UK, use of  secondary “top up” systemic

There is much talk about reducing in-premise hot water temperatures in order to save energy and move towards net zero goals.  However, there is little evidence to support adequate control of waterborne pathogens or suggested compensatory control measures would have a lower energy or carbon requirement.  These parameters remain critical regarding large buildings with complex

How long does it take for multi-drug resistant organisms to take up residence within environmental reservoirs and niches of newly built healthcare facilities?  Sadly this may be before building handover, or relatively shortly after first patient occupation.  The origin and timings of such environmental colonisation is not clear cut, however, there have been a number

Multiple studies have identified that handwash basin, sink and shower drains and ubends play a role in the transmission of healthcare-acquired antibiotic-resistant infections, particularly those caused by Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli.  The niche environment of healthcare drains and ubends supports biofilm formation and populations, enabling ease of microbial genetic exchange.  Where multi-drug

Clinical handwash basins, healthcare sinks and showers along with their u-bends and wastewater drains are not addressed as infection sources.  The plethora of recently published waterborne infection data has not been translated into meaningful improvements in patient or environmental surveillance, remediation within Water Safety Groups, nor have training materials to essential supporting services, including Plumbers

Sinkevitch and co-workers from the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) have recently reported on the investigation into three cases of Mycobacterium abscessus colonisation and/or infection in ventilator dependent paediatrics at a residential facility.  Mycobacterium abscessus is one of the Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) species responsible for severe respiratory, skin and mucosal infections, and