Biofilm formation in a hot water system

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.K. Bagh ◽  
H.-J. Albrechtsen ◽  
E. Arvin ◽  
K. Ovesen

The biofilm formation rate was measured in situ in a hot water system in an apartment building by specially designed sampling equipment, and the net growth of the suspended bacteria was measured by incubation of water samples with the indigeneous bacteria. The biofilm formation rate reached a higher level in the hot water distribution system (2.1 d−1 to 2.3 d−1) than in the hot water tank (1.4 d−1 to 2.2 d−1) indicating an important area for surface associated growth. The net growth rate of the suspended bacteria measured in hot water from the top, middle and bottom of the hot water tank, in the sludge, or in the water from the distribution system was negligible. This indicated that bacterial growth took place on the inner surfaces in the hot water system and biofilm formation and detachment of bacteria could account for most of the suspended bacteria actually measured in hot water. Therefore, attempts to reduce the number of bacteria in a hot water system have to include the distribution system as well as the hot water tank.

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1009-1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Zhang ◽  
Carole McCann ◽  
Janet E. Stout ◽  
Steve Piesczynski ◽  
Robert Hawks ◽  
...  

In a 30-month prospective study, we evaluated the efficacy of chlorine dioxide to control Legionella organisms in a water distribution system of a hospital with 364 patient beds and 74 skilled nursing beds. The number of hot water specimens positive for Legionella organisms decreased from 12 (60%) of 20 to 2 (10%) of 20. An extended time (18 months) was needed to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of Legionella positivity among hot water specimens. At the time of writing, no cases of hospital-acquired Legionnaires disease have been detected at the hospital since the chlorine dioxide system was installed in January 2003. Use of chlorine dioxide was safe, based on Environmental Protection Agency limits regarding maximum concentrations of chlorine dioxide and chlorite.


1985 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 141-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet E. Stout ◽  
Victor L. Yu ◽  
Paul Muraca

AbstractAlthough the mode of transmission of L. pneumophila is as yet unclear, the hot water distribution system has been shown to be the reservoir for Legionella within the hospital environment. In this report we identify a previously unrecognized reservoir for L. pneumophila within the hospital environment, ie, the cold water dispensers of hospital ice machines. The cold water dispensers of 14 ice machines were cultured monthly over a 1-year period. Positive cultures were obtained from 8 of 14 dispensers, yielding from 1 to 300 CFU/plate. We were able to link the positivity of these cold water sites to the incoming cold water supply by recovering L. pneumophila from the cold water storage tank, which is directly supplied by the incoming municipal water line. This was accomplished by a novel enrichment experiment designed to duplicate the conditions (temperature, sediment, stagnation, and continuous seeding) of the hot water system. Our data indicate that significant contamination of cold water outlets with L. pneumophila can occur. Although no epidemiologic link to disease was made, the fact that the primary source of a patient's drinking water is from the ice machines warrants further investigation of these water sources as possible reservoirs.


1987 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 357-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Vickers ◽  
Victor L. Yu ◽  
S. Sue Hanna ◽  
Paul Muraca ◽  
Warren Diven ◽  
...  

AbstractWe conducted a prospective environmental study for Legionella pneumophila in 15 hospitals in Pennsylvania. Hot water tanks, cold water sites, faucets, and show-erheads were surveyed four times over a one-year period. Sixty percent (9/15) of hospitals surveyed were contaminated with L pneumophila. Although contamination could not be linked to a specific municipal water supplier, most of the contaminated supplies came from rivers. Parameters found to be significantly associated with contamination included elevated hot water temperature, vertical configuration of the hot water tank, older tanks, and elevated calcium and magnesium concentrations of the water (P < 0.05). This study suggests that L pneumophila contamination could be predicted based on design of the distribution system, as well as physicochemical characteristics of the water.


2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.C. Martiny ◽  
A.T. Nielsen ◽  
E. Arvin ◽  
S. Molin ◽  
H.-J. Albrechtsen

A flow cell set-up was used as a model drinking water distribution system to analyze the in situ microbial population. Biofilm growth was followed by transmission light microscopy for 81 days and showed a biofilm consisting of microcolonies separated by a monolayer of cells. Protozoans (ciliates and flagellates) were often seen attached to the microcolonies. The biofilm was hybridized with oligonucleotide probes specific for all bacteria and the α- and β-subclass of Proteobacteria and visualized with a scanning confocal laser microscope. Hybridization showed that the microcolonies primarily consisted of a mixed population of α- and β-Proteobacteria. 65 strains from the inlet water and 20 from the biofilm were isolated on R2A agar plates and sorted into groups with amplified rDNA restriction analysis. The 16S rDNA gene was sequenced for representatives of the abundant groups. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the majority of the isolated strains from the bulk water and biofilm were affiliated to the family of Comamonadaceae in the β-lineage of Proteobacteria. The majority of the strains from the α-lineage were affiliated to the family of Sphingomonadaceae. We were unable to detect any strains from the Pseudomonas genus and found a low abundance of bacteria affiliated to the γ-subclass of Proteobacteria where Pseudomonas and E. coli are positioned. The analysis revealed a high bacterial diversity in the water phase as well as the biofilm, but no strains were found in both environments.


2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.M. Siqueira ◽  
H.M.B. Oliveira ◽  
C. Santos ◽  
R.R.M. Paterson ◽  
N.B. Gusmão ◽  
...  

Filamentous fungi in drinking water can block water pipes, can cause organoleptic biodeterioration, and are a source of pathogens. There are increasing reports of the involvement of the organisms in biofilms. This present study describes a sampling device that can be inserted directly into pipes within water distribution systems, allowing biofilm formation in situ. Calcofluor White M2R staining and fluorescent in situ hybridization with morphological analyses using epifluorescent microscopy were used to analyse biofilms for filamentous fungi, permitting direct observation of the fungi. DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) was applied to detect bacteria. Filamentous fungi were detected in biofilms after 6 months on coupons exposed to raw water, decanted water and at the entrance of the water distribution system. Algae, yeast, and bacteria were also observed. The role of filamentous fungi requires further investigations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 316-317 ◽  
pp. 719-722
Author(s):  
Huan Huan Wang ◽  
Shu Ming Liu ◽  
Fan Lin Meng ◽  
Lu Bai

High level water tank is a commonly used facility to satisfy water demand for people living in high building, which is also the so-called secondary water supply system (SWSS) in China. Due to lack of maintenance, water quality problem has been frequently reported in the SWSS. In the last few decades, anti-negative pressure facility (ANPF) has emerged as a revolutionary approach for solving the pollution in the SWSS. ANPF makes good use of the municipal pipeline pressure, which is the improvement of traditional water supply. However, most of recent research activities mainly focus on the influence of part of water distribution system (WDS). In this paper, the software of EPANET has been applied in the SWSS calculation and simulation. Besides that, the SWSS with ANPF simulation method is proposed to evaluate the effect of other all nodes pressure in the WDS using hydraulic model. As the cases study, the paper analyzed two WDSs with ANPF. After simulation of the SWSS, the result of WDS, which is smaller, indicates that 6 out of the 9 nodes are affected with ANPF and that of WDS, which is larger, demonstrates that 37 out of the 41 nodes are affected and the affected nodes are focused on the confluent of pipes, especially around the ANPF.


2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Baskin ◽  
William G Craddick ◽  
Roberto Lenarduzzi ◽  
Robert L Wendt ◽  
Professor Keith A. Woodbury

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28
Author(s):  
Peter Kapalo ◽  
◽  
Khrystyna Kozak ◽  
Khrystyna Myroniuk ◽  
◽  
...  

One of the main tasks around the world is to reduce energy consumption with constant consumer comfort. The hot water supply system uses a significant part of thermal energy and requires no less attention than the heating or ventilation system. The amount of heat loss from hot water distribution systems is of great importance for the energy consumption of buildings. In winter, part of this heat is used for space heating, in summer they are unused and is considered as lost heat. For this reason, this paper considers the influence of water velocity in the pipe, pipe size, and water temperature on the total heat losses in the insulated hot-water distribution system. The data are presented in tabular and graphical form. A graph of the dependence of the amount of heat loss on the temperature and velocity of hot water is obtained.


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