| This service requirement is to conduct an investigation and deliver a report on the role of incoming water quality in contributing to the risk of Legionella colonisation and proliferation within water supply systems servicing hospitals in Queensland. This report is intended to fulfil the deliverables as described in Section 7.0, points six and seven on page 41 from the Chief Health Officer’s report, “Review of the prevention and control of Legionella pneumophila infection in Queensland” (http://www.health.qld.gov.au/legionnaires/docs/cho-legionella-report.pdf)
Work to be commenced as soon as possible following successful tender, and to be completed within 2-3 months. Timeframes are negotiable.
Outcomes/deliverables for the service requirement/s are:
1. any raw data files created, referenced, or acquired as part of this project; and
2. a report in a format suitable for publication on the Queensland Health website that includes:
a) detailed methodology of all work undertaken
b) a bibliography of relevant scientific, peer-reviewed studies consulted in the preparation of the report, where these are considered relevant to Queensland conditions;
c) assessment and analysis of water quality data collected as part of the Queensland Health Legionella snapshot healthcare facility program conducted in July – August 2013 (data to be provided by Queensland Health – a summary can be viewed at http://www.health.qld.gov.au/legionnaires/html/test-results.asp);
d) collection and analysis of any additional relevant data on water quality in community water supplies for selected health facilities (e.g. water temperature, water age, disinfectant residual, organic carbon, nutrient and mineral composition, pipe material, sediment accumulation, and any other factor);
e) testing and analysis of water samples, if needed, of incoming water supplies at health facilities selected to best represent particular circumstances;
f) a review of data gaps and uncertainty in the overall analysis;
g) a review of an existing model or design for a new model that incorporates the identified factors relevant to legionella risk in hospitals which could then be used to conduct an assessment of the risk of legionella proliferation from incoming water quality to a hospital
h) validation of the model described in 2(g) above, using data compiled from 2 (c),(d) and (e) above and
i) conclusions from the investigation and, in particular, identification of those factors that should be monitored and/or controlled by a hospital in order to minimise the risk of Legionella proliferation.
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