AquaMedix LLC, an anti-bacterial water filtration and purification system and device developer, distributor, and services provider, is announcing receipt of a report from the Special Pathogens Laboratory in Pittsburgh, PA and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh.
This study was led by Dr. Janet Stout and Dr. Radisav Vidic, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. Others involved in the study were Xiao Ma of the University of Pittsburgh and Scott Duda of the Special Pathogens Laboratory.
Legionella bacteria
The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of AquaMedix CleanSpray Faucet Filters for the filtration of waterborne Legionella bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria from faucet (tap) water. AquaMedix funded this research to confirm the performance of its products.
The Company expects the demand for Point-of-Use (POU) water filtration devices to increase due to the costs of Legionella-induced diseases, directives by healthcare institutions and an anticipated ASHRAE Standard:Legionella is the potentially fatal waterborne bacterium found in potable water supplies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), estimates that Legionnaires’ Disease infects 10,000 to 18,000 people annually with a forty (40%) percent mortality rate when contracted in hospital or health care facilities. Other agencies, however, estimate up to 100,000 cases annually since waterborne diseases also occur in non-medical facilities such as hotels, apartment buildings and health clubs.
Monetary awards
According to the CDC, treatment for waterborne diseases costs over $500 million in the US. Monetary awards for gross negligence can run into hundreds of millions of dollars. For example, after exposure to Legionella in the Las Vegas MGM Hotel, eight guests filed a $330 million lawsuit in 2012.
On August 13, 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration (VHA), issued VHA Directive 1061 titled; “Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Legionella Disease and Scald Injury from Potable Water Distribution Systems.” The Directive establishes policy for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated Legionella-caused disease in Veterans Administration owned buildings; “…in which patients, residents or visitors stay overnight.”
Risk factors
American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 188P, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems, is currently under development. In a press release, dated May 15, 2014, from ASHRAE: “The anticipated standard will identify risk factors for growth and exposure along with measures to mitigate that risk.” For more details on ASHRAE, go to www.ashrae.org
AquaMedix LLC is an anti-bacterial water filtration and purification system and device developer, distributor, and services provider. AquaMedix is initially delivering anti-bacterial prevention and control systems and devices to healthcare, institutional and commercial facilities under the brand name CleanSpray in North America.™ CleanSpray is a trademark of AquaMedix LLC.
