Legionella can cause a serious type of pneumonia called Legionnaires' Disease (LD). LD is most dangerous for people who are at risk, including people who are over 50 years old, smokers, people with a chronic lung disease, people with weakened immune systems, people with cancer, and people with other underlying illnesses.
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals and Long-Term Care facilities must develop and adhere to policies that test for and inhibit microbial growth in building water systems in order to reduce the risk of growth and spread of legionella in water. LegionellaWatch.com helps you satisfy this requirement.
What is Legionella Watch?
Your CMS compliance portal
Water Testing
Send us your water samples using our water collection kits, receive your certification, and access test results online.
CMS Compliance
Our program helps your facility stay compliant with CMS requirements through training, sampling, and education on best practices.
Important Updates
We keep you informed about the latest Legionella information and regulatory updates.
"LD, a severe sometimes fatal pneumonia, can occur in persons who inhale aerosolized droplets of water contaminated with the bacterium Legionella. In a recent review of LD outbreaks in the United States occurring in 2000–2014, 19% of outbreaks were associated with long-term care facilities and 15% with hospitals. The rate of reported cases of legionellosis, which comprises both LD and Pontiac fever (a milder, self-limited, influenza-like illness) has increased 286% in the US during 2000–2014, with approximately 5,000 cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2014. Approximately 9% of reported legionellosis cases are fatal."
-Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services