System monitoring company CM Technologies (CMT) has launched a new test kit for Legionnaire’s disease, which, CMT warns, can easily breed in onboard hot tubs, spas and pools.
“Hot tubs are a real problem,” comments CMT managing director David Fuhlbruegge. “Most yachts have them these days, with operating water temperatures of between 37°-40°C, which is the ideal environment for both bathers and Legionella bacteria.” While traditional water testing typically involves sending samples to a shore-based lab – a process that can take a couple of weeks – CMT claims that its new kit can detect Legionella bacteria “within 25 minutes”, permitting fast and effective prevention. The test kit is designed for use with both hot- and cold-water systems.
“Water quality can change rapidly, especially on superyachts that are constantly moving between different locations and environments,” Fuhlbruegge says. “Owners need the ability to monitor in real time and not just once or twice a year.”
Such precautions could prevent not only outbreaks of illness but cancelled charters and potential lawsuits, adds Uwe Kreuger, CMT joint managing director. “Superyacht crews should be checking bacteria levels, disinfectant concentrations and heavy metals on a monthly if not weekly basis,” Krueger says. “This allows crews to spot trends and take corrective action before problems spiral out of control.”
Water storage tank temperatures should also be monitored, Fuhlbruegge adds, to ensure that the water inside remains below 20°C, though many tanks exceed this temperature “due to the yacht’s operational profile”.
Figures published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control point to a 38% increase in travel-associated Legionnaires’ disease cases in 2021 compared to the previous year.
