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Legionella Testing and Analysis

Pace® Legionella Testing Services

Don’t react to what’s in your water. Respond! Routine monitoring for Legionella bacteria is the keystone to outbreak prevention. Pace® offers comprehensive Legionella testing and analysis services for healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, commercial buildings, and more. Our experienced team of microbiologists and environmental scientists work collaboratively with clients to create customized testing plans tailored to meet specific needs and regulatory requirements.
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.
Need to speak to someone about Legionella Testing Services right away?
Call: 412-281-5335

Reasons To Test For Legionella

Legionella bacteria can pose significant health risks, especially in environments where the bacteria can grow and spread, such as in large plumbing systems and cooling towers. Exposure to Legionella bacteria can result in Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia, or the less severe flu-like Pontiac fever. These illnesses can be fatal, particularly in people with compromised immune systems. Legionella testing can help organizations achieve several important goals.

Compliance

Many organizations, such as those in the healthcare industry, are required to implement water management policies and procedures to reduce the risk of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens. Testing is not always required but can play an important role in validating compliance.

Water Safety Management Validation

Even if not required by law to test for Legionella, baseline testing can help validate the water safety management practices for organizations such as hotels and recreational facilities.

Reputation Management

An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease traced back to an organization's facilities could significantly damage its reputation, potentially resulting in loss of business and other liabilities. Routine testing can help limit the risk of an outbreak. If an outbreak does occur, testing can help identify the source.

Pace® Legionella Water Testing Methods

Pace® offers a variety of test methods for detecting Legionella in water. Our team of experts at our Legionella testing labs can help you determine which test is right for your needs.
Legionella Iso Culture
1
Legionella Cdc Culture
2
Legionella Qpcr
3
Legiolert
4

Pace® Legionella Outbreak Response Services

Our integrated team of experts is available to conduct case investigations and manage all aspects of a Legionella outbreak. With proven experience in outbreak response, the Pace® emergency response team combines experts from microbiology, engineering, water treatment, infection prevention, communication, public health, and medicine to provide the broad range of expertise required to address all aspects of an outbreak. Pace® Legionella outbreak response services are available 24/7 and include:
Legionella is the problem you don’t think you have until there’s an outbreak.
Contact the Pace® Legionella Outbreak Response Team at:
412-281-5335

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.

    Legionella is the problem you don’t think you have until there’s an outbreak.
    Contact the Pace® Legionella Outbreak Response Team at:
    412-281-5335

    Legionella Water Safety And Management Services

    Whether you need a full-service solution or have a narrow set of unique requirements, our team of experienced microbiologists and water safety specialists have professional solutions to support your water safety and management projects. Some of the common types of Legionella support services we offer include:

    Legionella FAQs

    Legionella was first identified following an outbreak in 1976 during an American Legion convention in Philadelphia. While the disease known as Legionnaire’s disease has been widely studied, the general public is often underinformed about the bacteria that causes it.

    What Is Legionella?
    Legionella is a genus of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. Infection caused by Legionella is called Legionellosis, which includes a pneumonia-type condition called Legionnaires' disease and a flu-like illness referred to as Pontiac fever. The CDC estimates that 8,000 to 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease each year in the U.S. and that roughly 10% of cases are fatal.
    Where Is Legionella Found?

    Legionella bacteria are found naturally in freshwater environments, such as lakes and streams, and prefer warmer water to cool. The bacteria can become a health concern when they grow and spread in artificial water systems, such as plumbing, storage tanks, cooling towers, decorative fountains, hot tubs, and manufacturing equipment. Transmission of Legionella is not passed from person to person. Rather, it is usually contracted by the inhalation of droplets in mist or vapor containing the bacteria.

    How Is Legionella Regulated?

    Legionella testing in water systems is a best practice for protecting public health and mitigating organizational risk. The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) requires Medicare and Medicare/Medicaid certified healthcare facilities to implement water management policies and procedures to reduce the risk of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens in building water systems.

    In 2022, new standards approved by the Joint Commission and designed to address Legionella and other waterborne pathogens also went into effect for all accredited and certified organizations, including hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers. Some states may have their own requirements. For example, New York state requires all general hospitals and residential healthcare facilities to monitor and control Legionella as well.

    For other types of organizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidelines for preventing Legionnaires' disease on its website. Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has standards that may apply to workplaces with potential Legionella contamination, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and respiratory protection. Once again, states may also set regulations for other industries. New York, for instance, requires cooling towers to be tested.

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    Additional Legionella Testing Resources

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