New Resource: Legionella Communications Factsheet

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Assocation of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) have developed a Legionella Communications Factsheet: A Guide for Health Agency Staff. Legionella is the leading cause of waterborne disease outbreaks associated with drinking water in the United States. Control of Legionella and other plumbing pathogens is complicated and is a shared responsibility between water utilities, high-risk individuals, and commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential customers. ASTHO and ASDWA developed this communications factsheet to provide information that state health agency staff can use when talking to building and facility personnel about Legionella and other opportunistic biofilm pathogens, provide information to increase building owner awareness of the potential for pathogens to grow in building water systems, including resources that can help them reduce or minimize pathogen growth in their plumbing, and outline proactive Legionella-related communications methods for state agencies to consider.