Superyacht crews are being advised to monitor their potable water supply more frequently to avoid Legionella.
Germany-based system monitoring specialist CM Technologies (CMT) is advising superyacht managers to carry out more frequent testing of potable waters. This follows a spate of outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease on passenger ships.
Recent incidents have highlighted the dangers of neglecting water system maintenance and testing on super yachts. Spas and pools are being flagged up as particular areas of concern.
David Fuhlbruegge is the Managing Director at CMT. He says, “Hot tubs are a real problem. Most yachts have them these days, with operating water temperatures of between 37°C and 40°C. This is the ideal environment for both bathers and Legionella bacteria.”
He explained that the pathogen survives in temperatures between 20°C to 45°C. Smaller volumes of water used in hot tubs can increase the risk of Legionella growth. This can be spread more rapidly with aeration and water mist.
Risk assessment
Recently CMT carried out a Legionella risk assessment recently onboard a yacht berthed in Barcelona, Spain. Fuhlbruegge said “It was a real eye-opener to see the extent of the problems they were having.”
He also revealed a number of incidents where owners, passengers and crew aboard a superyacht were at risk from Legionnaires’ disease. And another incident where several guests contracted gastrointestinal illnesses after consuming contaminated water while cruising. There was also a recent case where a super yacht was forced to cancel a charter after an outbreak. This cost the owner dearly in lost revenue.
“These are not isolated incidents,” he said. “But the financial implications of water contamination can be devastating. Waterborne pathogens like Legionella bacteria and other faecal-type bacteria such as coliforms, pseudomonas, enterococci and E.coli pose an ever-present risk. That requires vigilant monitoring and management. Managers and crews need to treat this as a top priority.”
Requires vigilance
Fuhlbruegge furthered that the temperature of water storage tanks also requires vigilance, especially when operating in warmer climates. Water should be stored under 20°C and distributed above 55°C. But the problem is tank temperatures often exceed this temperature due to the yacht’s operational profile.
Fuhlbruegge advocated more frequent testing than the “regular” testing mandated by regulations. He explained that traditional water testing methods are problematic in that they usually require sending samples to shore-based labs for analysis. These can take weeks before the results are returned. By which time there could be a serious outbreak and therefore too late to take preventative measures.
“Water quality can change rapidly, especially on super yachts that are constantly moving between different locations and environments. Owners need the ability to monitor in real time and not just once or twice a year,” he said.
CMT’s new Legionella Test Kit is deemed a breakthrough technology for the rapid detection of Legionella bacteria. Especially in marine potable water systems. Here it delivers test results in minutes instead of days.
Simple-to-use kit
Optimised for use with hot and cold-water systems, the simple-to-use kit contains everything crews needed to perform tests onboard. It delivers results within 25 minutes without having to send samples to labs shoreside.
Super yacht crews should be checking parameters like bacteria levels, disinfectant concentrations, and heavy metals monthly. If not on a weekly basis. This allows crews to spot trends and take corrective action before problems spiral out of control.
The CMT Legionella Industrial Water kit forms part of a range of new onboard water testing, analysis and incubation kits. It is designed to assure owners, managers, passengers and crew that the potable waters produced and stored onboard their yachts are always fit for purpose.