North America: NSF Legionnaires’ Disease standard to be developed

NSF International announced it is developing a building water health standard to help building owners and operators evaluate and minimize the risk of disease and injury associated with building water systems. The new standard, NSF 444, will address growing public concern about building water health, including recent findings on Legionnaires’ disease cases reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Based on a CDC analysis of data from 20 states and New York City, 76 percent of reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease were found to be associated with healthcare facilities. This finding highlights the risk of Legionella bacteria exposure for patients, especially in long-term care facilities and hospitals. This is not the first time the CDC has warned about health risks associated with building water systems.