Earthwise Environmental, Inc. Re-focuses on Ashrae 188 Water Management Plans With New Water Hygiene Division

Outbreaks of Legionnaire's Disease (LD) have been linked to poorly maintained water systems in buildings with large or complex water systems. To reduce the risk of these horrible infections that can lead to permanent injury or death, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have enforced requirements in healthcare facility water systems to prevent cases and outbreaks of LD, stating that hospitals, critical access hospitals (CAHs) and long-term care facilities (LTCs) must have water management plans that consider the ASHRAE 188 industry standard and the CDC Toolkit.

Earthwise Environmental, Inc. has redesigned our Water Hygiene Division under the direction of Brandon Gross, Director of Water Hygiene, responding to need for water management plans and programming in these critical buildings.  "Our goal is to reach as many facilities as possible and do our part to reduce the number of people injured or killed by this waterborne pathogen," states Robert Miller, CEO of Earthwise.

Those most at risk of critical illness from this aggressive pneumonia are those over 50 years old, smokers, and the immunocompromised. 1 in 10 who contracts the disease will die, according to the CDC.

With extensive experience in Water Management Plan writing, outbreak response teams, and an agnostic approach to secondary disinfection, Earthwise is ready to help Hospitals and LTCs be better prepared to inhibit microbial growth in building water systems. "Preparedness is less costly and stressful than responding to an outbreak," according to Brandon Gross, Director of Water Hygiene.

In one outbreak response last year, Brandon recalls arriving on site as the buses pulled up to a Senior Living Complex whose residents were being displaced from their homes for a second time due to an outbreak following a water main break months earlier. "I'll never forget how appreciative everyone was when we worked with the Department of Public Health to keep them in their homes that day," says Brandon. "It is an honor to know I can do my part to prevent illness and disruption to the lives of so many. And we saved the facility's credibility and cost of relocating all their residents."

Earthwise encourages building management, whether in hospitals, schools, commercial buildings, manufacturing, or others to review their Water Management Plans today, or reach out for help to prevent this disease from ruining more lives.