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In order to counteract a health risk, the legislator has prescribed legionella testing and thus ordered regular testing of drinking water systems in buildings. This measure affects both owners of apartment buildings and condominium owners' associations (WEGs) and serves to protect residents. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about legionella testing: from the basic facts and legal requirements to practical tips on prevention and carrying out the tests.
Definition: What is legionella and what is a legionella test?
Legionella are small bacteria that colonize and multiply in water systems. These microscopic organisms can pose a threat to our health, especially when they occur in drinking water. They are natural inhabitants of freshwater ecosystems, but can reach problematic concentrations in artificial water systems such as hot water systems, air conditioning systems or whirlpools. Therefore, the prevention of legionella is a particular focus for condominiums and landlords.
Legionella testing is an integral part of drinking water hygiene and health care in buildings. During this test, the drinking water, in particular the hot water, is tested for the presence of legionella bacteria.
The test involves professionally taking water samples at defined points in the water system, followed by a microbiological analysis in a certified laboratory. This not only detects the presence of legionella, but also quantifies their concentration. The legionella test therefore enables a precise assessment of the risk potential and the derivation of necessary measures to minimize the risk.
Legionella testing: Risks due to legionella
Legionella poses a health risk that should not be underestimated and is particularly insidious, as the bacteria can enter the lungs via the finest water droplets, known as aerosols. This often happens when showering, but also when washing hands or using humidifiers.
The danger of Legionella lies not only in the severity of the possible illnesses, but also in the fact that an infection is often not recognized immediately. The symptoms can be confused with other respiratory diseases, which makes timely and targeted treatment difficult.
The diseases caused by Legionella can occur in two main forms: Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever.
Legionnaires' disease
Legionnaires' disease is the more serious form and can manifest itself as severe pneumonia. It often begins with high fever, coughing, shortness of breath and in severe cases can lead to organ failure and even death. Older people, smokers, people with chronic lung diseases and people with a weakened immune system are particularly at risk.
Pontiac fever
Pontiac fever, on the other hand, is milder and resembles the flu with symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and headaches. It usually heals within a few days without specific treatment.
Why is legionella testing so important?
Regular legionella testing is important for several reasons. First of all, it serves as a preventative measure to protect health. Early detection of increased legionella concentrations means that countermeasures can be taken in good time before infections occur. This is particularly important in buildings where large numbers of people are present or where particularly vulnerable groups of people live, such as in hospitals, care homes or large residential complexes.
Legionella testing also fulfills an important legal function. It helps owners and operators of water systems to fulfill their legal duty of care and protect themselves from possible liability claims. In the event of a legionella infestation, proof of regular testing and the resulting measures can be of decisive legal importance.
The legionella test also serves as an indicator of the general condition and hygiene of the water system. Elevated legionella levels can indicate problems such as poorly draining water, insufficient temperatures or deposits in the pipes. Correcting these problems not only improves safety, but also the efficiency and longevity of the entire water system.
Last but not least, regular legionella testing helps to raise awareness of the importance of drinking water hygiene among all those involved. It promotes awareness of the need for regular maintenance and hygienic practices when dealing with water installations.
Legal basis and responsibilities for legionella testing
The German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV) forms the legal basis for ensuring the quality of drinking water in Germany. The Drinking Water Ordinance pursues the overriding goal of protecting the health of consumers with clean drinking water. The Drinking Water Ordinance not only defines quality standards for drinking water, but also sets out responsibilities and obligations for all parties involved - from water suppliers to building owners and consumers.
A central aspect of the Drinking Water Ordinance is the prevention of contamination, in particular by microbiological contamination such as legionella. It stipulates that owners of buildings with central hot water supply systems must have regular tests carried out. This obligation to test for legionella is therefore an essential part of preventive health protection.
The limit values for legionella in the Drinking Water Ordinance
The Drinking Water Ordinance sets detailed limits for various microorganisms and chemical substances. For legionella, a technical action value of 100 colony-forming units (CFU) per 100 milliliters of water applies. If this value is exceeded, further tests and, if necessary, remediation measures are required.
Regulations for legionella testing
In addition, the Drinking Water Ordinance regulates the frequency and type of legionella testing to be carried out. It stipulates that sampling and analysis must be carried out by accredited laboratories in order to ensure the reliability and comparability of the results and findings.
Information for consumers
Another important aim of the Drinking Water Ordinance is to provide transparency and information to consumers. Owners and operators of water supply systems are obliged to inform users about the quality of the drinking water and any risks.
Through these comprehensive regulations, the Trinkwv makes a significant contribution to ensuring the high level of drinking water quality in Germany and to strengthening public confidence in the safety of tap water.
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Who is responsible for legionella testing?
The question of responsibility for legionella testing can vary depending on the situation. The responsibility for legionella testing lies primarily with the owners or the condominium owners' association, whereby the specific structure depends on the specific situation of the building and its use. The following applies in principle:
Owners and landlords
Owners and landlords bear the main responsibility for carrying out legionella testing. They are legally obliged to ensure water quality right up to the tenant's tap. This includes not only carrying out regular tests, but also implementing the necessary measures if problems are detected. Owners must ensure that the tests are carried out at the prescribed intervals by qualified specialists and that the results are properly documented and stored.
Condominium owners' associations (WEGs)
The situation is somewhat more complex for homeowners' associations (WEGs). If apartments are rented out within the WEG, the community as a whole is responsible for carrying out the legionella test. This means that the decision on implementation and the associated costs are usually taken by the owners' meeting. The practical implementation is often delegated to the property management company, which acts on behalf of the WEG.
There is a special case for condominiums in which all apartments are used exclusively by the owners themselves. In this case, it is possible to waive regular legionella testing by resolution. However, it is important to emphasize that such a waiver should be carefully considered, as it can be associated with considerable health risks.
General awareness for all
Irrespective of legal responsibility, it is advisable that all parties involved - owners, landlords, owners' associations and tenants - develop an awareness of the importance of drinking water hygiene and contribute to the prevention of legionella in their respective areas of responsibility.
However, the responsibility does not end with the legionella test. If limit values are found to be exceeded, those responsible are obliged to take immediate measures to eliminate the contamination and, if necessary, inform the public health department.
Which systems must carry out a legionella test?
The obligation to test for legionella does not apply equally to all drinking water systems. The legislator has defined clear criteria that can be used to determine which systems must undergo regular sampling.
In principle, the following buildings and properties are affected by the inspection obligation:
Large installations in residential buildings
Large systems for heating drinking water are the focus of legionella testing. These include systems with a storage volume of more than 400 liters. This limit was set as the risk of stagnation and thus the proliferation of legionella is particularly high in larger storage tanks.
Systems with a smaller storage volume may also be subject to inspection if the volume of the pipes between the outlet of the drinking water heater and the tapping point is more than 3 liters. This regulation takes into account the fact that stagnation zones can also occur in longer pipe systems and pose a risk.
Facilities with showers, whirlpools, humidifiers or fountains
There is also a particular focus on systems with showers or other facilities that produce aerosols. Showers are so critical because they produce fine water droplets that can be inhaled and thus represent the main transmission path for legionella. However, other aerosol-generating facilities such as whirlpools, humidifiers or indoor fountains may also be subject to mandatory testing.
Public facilities
The inspection obligation applies not only to residential buildings, but also to public facilities such as schools, kindergartens, sports facilities, hotels and hospitals. Regular inspections are particularly important in these buildings, as many people or particularly vulnerable groups of people often come together here.
Detached and semi-detached houses
As a rule, systems in detached and semi-detached houses are not subject to mandatory testing unless they are used for commercial purposes
What costs are associated with regular legionella testing?
Regular legionella testing is therefore mandatory, depending on the type of building, and the associated costs are generally apportionable. It is generally advisable to consider legionella testing as an important preventive measure that can save costs in the long term and protect the health of users.
Here is an overview of the costs in various buildings:
Housing industry
The costs for legionella testing can generally be passed on to the tenants. They are considered part of the operating costs in accordance with the German Civil Code and the Operating Costs Ordinance. In the case of homeowners' associations, the costs can be distributed equally among all homeowners.
Find out more about apportionable service charges in our article.
Office real estate
Office buildings with showers are also subject to mandatory inspection. The costs are usually passed on to the tenants as part of the ancillary costs.
The exact costs may vary depending on the size of the system, the number of sampling points and regional conditions. Additional costs are also incurred if limit values are exceeded during the test and remedial measures are required.
Public facilities
Regular legionella tests are also required for public buildings such as schools, kindergartens and hospitals. The costs for this are usually covered by public funds.
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