Legionella Testing and Analysis

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Pace® Legionella Testing and Analysis Services

Pace® provides comprehensive Legionella testing and analysis to help you stay ahead of risk—not react to it. Routine monitoring is key to preventing outbreaks, and our experts design customized testing plans that meet regulatory requirements and fit your water system.

We serve healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, commercial buildings, and more. Our team of microbiologists and environmental scientists partners closely with clients to deliver reliable results and guidance.

Legionella bacteria, which can cause Legionnaires’ disease, naturally occur in freshwater but thrive in warm, human-made systems like cooling towers, hot water tanks, and plumbing—making proactive testing essential.

In addition to being CDC Elite, many of the Pace® labs are AIHA accredited.
We offer numerous test methods, including Legionella ISO culture, Legionella CDC culture, Legionella qPCR, and Legiolert.
Pace® is an independent provider of Legionella testing and analytical services. No need to worry about biased or incomplete results.
Nationwide Legionella lab network and easy shipping kits help you send your samples to the lab safely.
Our online store makes it simple to make sure you always have the right testing supplies on hand.
Pace® Legionella Emergency Response Services can manage all aspects of a Legionella outbreak.

Protect your employees and customers from preventable diseases while mitigating your business risks with Pace® Legionella testing services.

REACH OUT TO OUR EXPERIENCED STAFF WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR TO LEARN MORE.

Reasons To Test For Legionella

Legionella bacteria pose a serious health risk, especially in large plumbing systems and cooling towers where they can grow and spread. They can cause Legionnaires’ disease—a severe form of pneumonia—as well as Pontiac fever, a milder flu-like illness. Both can be dangerous, particularly for individuals with weakened immune systems.

Proactive Legionella testing helps prevent outbreaks, protect occupants, and ensure water systems are safe and compliant. With comprehensive testing and analysis, Pace® helps organizations detect risks early, safeguard public health, and maintain regulatory confidence.

How Is Legionella Regulated?

Legionella testing in water systems is essential for protecting public health and reducing organizational risk. The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) has rules for healthcare facilities.

Facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid must implement water management policies. These policies help reduce the risk of Legionella and other harmful germs. In 2022, the Joint Commission set new standards for accredited organizations. This includes hospitals and nursing care centers to tackle Legionella.

Various states have their own requirements. New York requires hospitals and healthcare facilities to monitor and control Legionella.

Whereas, New Jersey needs policies for healthcare facilities and buildings with large water systems. The CDC provides guidelines for preventing Legionnaires’ disease. OSHA has standards for workplaces with potential Legionella contamination. States may also regulate other hot spots, such as New York’s requirement for cooling tower testing to reduce increased risk.

Compliance

Many organizations, like those in healthcare, must have water management policies. These help reduce the risk of Legionella and other harmful germs. However, testing is not always required but can play an important role in validating compliance.

Water Safety Management Validation

Even if the law does not require testing for Legionella, baseline testing can help ensure water safety. Therefore, water sample collecting is important for places like hotels and recreational facilities.

Reputation Management

An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease linked to a company's facilities can harm its reputation. Therefore, could lead to lost business and other problems. Routine testing can help limit the risk of an outbreak. Therefore, if an outbreak does occur, testing can help identify the source.

Who We Serve

Water Treaters

Water treaters and consultants are important for keeping water systems safe. They help prevent Legionnaires' disease by testing, monitoring, and managing water quality.

Healthcare Facilities

Nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and hospitals must keep patients safe. They should test regularly to prevent problems.

Hospitality

Regular testing in hotels and resorts can help prevent outbreaks, protect guests, and maintain the establishment’s reputation.

Educational Institutions

Universities and other educational institutions should test to ensure the safety of students, staff, and visitors.

Commercial Buildings

To ensure the safety of all occupants and visitors, regular testing for Legionella should be conducted in commercial buildings.

Data Centers

Data center water systems, such as cooling towers, can create an environment in which Legionella thrives. If you use evaporative cooling, you should test these systems regularly to prevent an outbreak.

Government Buildings

Government buildings, including those run by the General Services Administration (GSA), should test often. This helps prevent outbreaks and keeps health rules in check. It also protects public health.

Legionella & Cruise Ships

Keep your reputation afloat by learning how to protect your passengers from Legionella and the risk of an outbreak.
Get essential resources and guidance from our experts.

Preventing Cruise Ship Infections: Legionnaires’ Disease

WHICH LEGIONELLA TEST SHOULD I USE?

	Suitable for	TAT*	Advantages	Disadvantages
Legionella ISO Culture	Compliance Baseline testing and water management validation Outbreak forensics	7 days**	Considered the gold standard in the industry Highly accurate Capable of detecting 20 species of Legionella, including 16 serogroups of L. pneumophila	Longer TAT required than all other methods. (Can be paired with qPCR to begin initial outbreak forensics.)
Legionella CDC Culture	Compliance Baseline testing and water management validation Outbreak forensics	7 days**	Highly accurate Capable of detecting 20 species of Legionella, including 16 serogroups of L. pneumophila	Longer TAT required than Legionella qPCR. (Can be paired with qPCR to begin initial outbreak forensics.)
Legionella qPCR	Baseline testing and water management validation Time-constrained outbreak forensics	1-2 days	Fast – often paired with Legionella Culture for more detailed analysis Can detect all species of Legionella	Can only identify one serogroup of L. pneumophila – serogroup 1 Cannot indicate whether the bacteria was alive when the sample was collected
Legiolert	Baseline testing and water management validation	7 days	Little technical skills required to perform Easy to interpret results	High number of false positives in non-potable water if lab SOPs do not control potential for cross-reactivity Can only test for Legionella pneumophila

* Turnaround time. All TATs quoted are industry standard. Some scenarios may allow for faster turnaround. Talk with your Pace^® representative if faster results are needed.

** Regulatory requirements in some states, such as New York and Connecticut, may extend TAT times. Talk with your Pace^® representative for details.