An international lineup of public health and sustainability experts from four continents will discuss complex hospital water systems, cooling towers, proactive water quality monitoring and other topics at the Legionella Conference 2019 on Sept. 11-13 in Los Angeles.

NSF International and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) will host Legionella Conference 2019: Building Water Systems − The Sustainability & Public Health Nexus to explore the relationship between water conservation and microbial contamination prevention in building water systems.

International experts from government agencies, universities, hospitals and private laboratories in 11 countries are among the scheduled speakers. Organizations represented include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Network for Public Health Law and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

Water conservation efforts can sometimes have the unintended consequence of amplifying Legionella bacteria growth. The pathogen proliferates in poorly maintained water systems and can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a serious and sometimes fatal flu-like illness that has increased more than five-fold between 2000 and 2017, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention Control (CDC). Common sources of contaminated aerosols include cooling towers, low-flow fixtures, shower heads, HVAC systems, decorative spas and fountains.

At the conference, international experts will address a wide range of topics related to building water health and water conservation, including risk assessments, plumbing engineering, communication plans, proactive water quality monitoring, greywater transfers for irrigation and culture change in water safety. Notable presentations include:

• Whole-Genome Sequencing and Comparative Genome Analysis: Antimicrobial Resistance and Adaptive Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogens Large Building Water Systems − Vicente Gomez-Alvarez, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (United States)
• Measurement Science Research Roadmap for Premise Plumbing − William Healy, National Institute of Standards and Technology (United States)
• Quality Monitoring and Continual Improvement of the Public Services and Procurement Canada Legionella Management Program − Jeff Moffat, Public Services and Procurement Canada (Canada)
• The Water Safety Plan Strategy in France During the Two Last Decades for Legionella Control in Hospital Settings and Public Buildings: Description, Results and Place of Point-of-Use Filtration − Philippe Hartemann, School of Medicine, University of Lorraine (France)
• Reduce Impact: Management of a Nosocomial Outbreak of Legionella in a Private Hospital − André Monteiro, José de Mello Saúde (Portugal)
• The Minimization of Legionella Proliferation in Recirculating Domestic Hot Water Systems − Larry Rubin, Cleveland Clinic; Ryan Bloss, Armstrong International and Robert Homeyer, Homeyer Consulting (United States)
• Occurrence of Legionella pneumophila in Drinking Water Distribution Systems − Mark LeChevallier, Dr. Water Consulting (United States)
• Training for Culture Change Through a Multi-Layered Approach to Water Safety − Adrian Thompson, PPI Training (United Kingdom)
• Water Conservation Goals and Public Health – Responding to Unintended Consequences − Hugo Aguilar, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) (United States)
• Legionella Risk in the Age of Sustainability − John Hanlin, Ecolab (United States)
• How Public Health Officials Can Make Defensible Decisions With Limited Data During an Outbreak − Denise Chrysler, Network for Public Health Law (United States)

Conference panel sessions include:

• Developing Standardized Cooling Tower Registration Systems to Improve Outbreak Response and Sustainability Outcomes
• Who Is Responsible for Managing Building Water Safety? Perspectives from ASDWA, NEHA, NACCHO and ASTHO
• Criminal and Civil Liability for Public Health Officials and Building Owners Post Flint – Manslaughter Charges
• Redesigning Plumbing Codes to Manage Risks Caused by Conservation Efforts
• Training Building Facility Management Teams to Successfully Implement Water Safety and Sustainability Plans

Technical pre-conference workshops will focus on public health officials’ responses to Legionella outbreaks, case studies and new technology reviews.

The conference will be held at the Los Angeles Westin Bonaventure. Visit Legionella Conference 2019 for a full list of speakers, topics and other details.