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Legionella and Potable Water Investigations

Criterion’s expert team offers a range of Legionella services, including: water management plan development, environmental sample collection, and accredited laboratory analysis.
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Legionella Health Risks

Legionella bacteria pose a significant threat to safe potable and utility water systems, particularly for at-risk individuals. These opportunistic bacteria multiply within single-cell organisms in warm water environments. When aerosolized and inhaled, they can lead to serious infections such as Pontiac Fever and the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease.  Individuals with compromised immune systems are especially susceptible. For more information on Legionella, Legionnaires’ disease, and legionellosis, you can refer to the World Health Organization (WHO) Fact Sheet.

Water Management Plan Development

Criterion Labs develops Water Management Plans that adhere to the standards set by ASHRAE, CDC, and the Veterans Administration. These plans are crucial for preventing the growth and spread of Legionella bacteria in your water systems.

Environmental Sample Collection

Our team specializes in collecting drinking water samples for Legionella testing and other drinking water contaminants. We provide all necessary sampling equipment and media, and can guide you through the process if you prefer to collect your own samples. The number and types of sites to be tested for Legionella are determined on a case-by-case basis. For a free consultation on Legionella testing, contact Criterion Labs.

Accredited Laboratory Analysis

Criterion Labs’ state-of-the-art microbiology laboratory is accredited by AIHA LAP for Legionella analysis. Criterion is also a proud participant of the CDC ELITE Program.

Concise Reporting

We provide clear and detailed reports with fast turnaround times. Our reports include the quantification of 16 serotypes for Legionella pneumophila and many other species of Legionella, offering comprehensive insights into your water quality.

FAQ

What is a Legionella Water Management Plan (WMP), and is my building legally required to have one?

A Legionella Water Management Plan (WMP) is a structured, site-specific safety program designed to prevent, monitor, and control the growth of Legionella bacteria and other waterborne pathogens in a building’s water distribution loops.
While federal oversight via CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) mandates these plans for healthcare facilities and nursing homes, local and state regulations are increasingly enforcing them for broader commercial buildings. For example, under New Jersey Law 2188, covered building types must develop and maintain a customized WMP based strictly on ASHRAE Standard 188 frameworks to protect public health and
mitigate property owner liability.

Our state-of-the-art microbiology laboratory offers multi-tiered analytical methodologies to balance extreme scientific precision with project urgency: 
  • Traditional Culture Analysis (ISO 11731): As a proud participant in the CDC ELITE Program (Environmental Legionella Isolation Techniques Evaluation), we isolate and quantify viable Legionella colonies using industry-standard culture methods, delivering a detailed quantification of up to 16 Legionella pneumophila serotypes.
  • Rapid RT-qPCR Molecular Testing: For high-stakes or emergency response situations where facilities cannot afford to wait days for traditional culture incubation, Criterion provides validated quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) testing for rapid, same-day screening.

Legionella thrives in warm, stagnant water (77°F to 113°F) where bio-films, scale, and sediment can shield the bacteria. Our industrial hygiene field technicians prioritize risk mapping across a facility’s most vulnerable aerosol-producing assets:

  • Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers: High-risk aerosol generators that require strict, routine seasonal testing.
  • Potable Water Systems:</bstrong Large-scale commercial hot water heaters, storage tanks, dead legs (stagnant, unused plumbing runs), and decorative fountains.
  • Institutional Assets: Showers, eye-wash stations, electronic faucets, and specialized respiratory therapy equipment in clinical environments.

Criterion Labs deploys a team of multi-certified Industrial Hygienists and Environmental Staff members to carry out a comprehensive 5-step risk development program:

  1. Initial Site Risk Assessment:</bstrong A full physical building survey to identify potential problem areas and map the entire facility water distribution layout.
  2. Process Flow Diagramming: Creating precise CAD (Computer-Assisted Design) schematics indicating exactly where hazardous conditions have the potential to amplify.
  3. Control Measure Engineering: Specifying customized chemical treatments, thermal flushes, and physical monitoring processes to lock your water chemistry within safe, non-hazardous control limits.
  4. Action & Monitoring Protocol: Setting a strict schedule for routine physical parameters testing (such as temperature, pH, and residual biocides) and recurring Legionella lab analyses.
  5. Documentation & Compliance Auditing: Maintaining absolute chain-of-custody data and logging all corrective actions to protect your business during regulatory audits or liability reviews.

Regional environmental health laws are rapidly transitioning from voluntary guidelines to strict, enforceable mandates with multi-tiered deadlines. For instance, under New Jersey Law S2188, covered building operators (including any facility with a cooling tower, hotels, high-rise residential buildings with 6+ stories, and senior living communities) are required to hit two distinct compliance milestones:

  1. The Development Deadline: A fully comprehensive, site-specific Water Management Plan aligned with ASHRAE Standard 188 must be drafted and approved.
  2. The Active Implementation Deadline: Within 90 days of plan creation, the
  3. program must be operationally running. This requires active logging, staff protocol training, and the verification of baseline Legionella culture and chemical disinfectant limits across all control points.


Failure to Comply: Facilities failing to demonstrate active implementation face immediate fines ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 for initial offenses, scaling up to $10,000 per violation if non-compliance results in serious injury or illness. Criterion Labs provides fast-track consulting to audit your current plumbing physics and construct a fully compliant program.