Treatment of a Legionella pneumophila-colonized water distribution system using copper-silver ionization and continuous chlorination.

The detection in April 1997 of a case of nosocomial legionellosis in our hospital led to the discovery that both our hot- and cold-water circuits were heavily colonized with Legionella pneumophila. Conventional methods for eradication of the organisms were unsuccessful, so a copper-silver (Cu-Ag) ionization system and a continuous chlorination system were installed. Five months later, the number of colonized sites decreased from an initial 58.3% to 16.7%.