Date: April 5, 2016
Number: 56–16

Required Procedures

  1. All cold water tanks must be emptied, scrubbed, and the walls painted with chlorinated water.
  2. The inner surfaces of all hot water tanks (boilers) must be cleaned (removal of lime scale and sediment).
  3. All filters connected to the water system must be removed for detailed cleaning and disinfection.
  4. All shower heads, shower hoses, faucet aerators, and garden irrigation sprinklers must be removed for detailed cleaning and disinfection.
  5. All cooling towers must undergo detailed cleaning and disinfection.
  6. All pool balance tanks and filter sands must be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly.
  7. Chlorine must be added to cold water tanks to perform a chlorine shock. The target free chlorine level is 3 ppm, with a 24-hour retention time within the system.
  8. The water temperature inside boilers must be raised to 70 ºC, and hot water must be run from all showers and faucets (bath, hairdresser, etc.) at a pencil-thickness flow for 5 minutes each. This process is called thermal shock.
  9. The water temperature inside boilers must be raised to 70 ºC, and the temperature must be measured and recorded at the bottom drain valve.

Record Keeping

All performed procedures must be documented on appropriate forms, photographed, or recorded with signed minutes.

Important Information

The Regulation on Legionnaires' Disease Control Procedures and Principles, published in the Official Gazette dated May 13, 2015, and numbered 29354, imposes obligations on accommodation facilities. According to the regulation;

  • Training must be provided to responsible personnel.
  • A file containing routine protective measures must be prepared.
  • A water management plan must be established.
  • A risk assessment must be conducted.

Note: The required actions may be more extensive than those mentioned above. Important items are indicated in this reminder, and the priority may vary depending on the risk situation.