The Case for Monitoring for Legionella pneumophila in Drinking Water Distribution Systems

As cases of Legionnaires’ disease increase worldwide, there is uncertainty on whether water management plans should focus on the measurement of Legionella species or specifically on L. pneumophila. This paper makes the case that, for public water systems and buildings, the target organism should be L. pneumophila as it is the overwhelming cause of illness, has simple methods for analysis, and remediation procedures avoid unnecessary costs that produce little public health benefit.