Month: July 2016

Letter to the CFO of Dayton Public Schools

OHIO LEGIONELLA PREVENTION INITIATIVE
 
 
July 26, 2016
 
Mr. Craig A. Jones
Treasurer and CFO
Dayton Public Schools
Dayton, Ohio
 
Dear Mr. Jones,
 
 
I am a student at the Ohio State College of Public Health in Columbus, Ohio, and the founder (2016), facilitator and organizer of the Ohio Legionella Prevention Initiative, a voice for sound Public Health policy.
 
To date, I have sent out email letters to over 600 Ohio school superintendents regarding legionella prevention. In these emails I included information to be used as guidance by school districts to develop water safety programs. They have received the just released CDC Tool Kit on legionella prevention, a copy of The Ohio State University Hospitals anti-legionella plan, a link to the New York State cooling tower inspection and registration law, and a copy of an actual water safety plan sent to me by an Ohio school system.
 
The next step is to tackle the major causes of legionella growth leading to Legionnaires Disease – chief among these causes are hot water heating tanks. Besides causing a  great waste of energy, hot water tanks promote legionella growth by having different temperature levels inside the tanks.
 
Tankless hot water systems are clearly the answer for energy conservation, and for limiting legionella bacteria growth. Tankless water heaters can be arranged in banks to handle all of the hot water needs of schools. 
 
Recirculating pumps, built into some models, guarantee that the water left in the connecting pipe systems is kept at the proper temperature. Tankless water heaters also last longer than hot water tanks and take up much less space.
 
According to the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission, each Ohio school district is responsible for seeking their own Federally guaranteed and tax-free Qualified School Construction Bonds which have been designed for just such a purpose – replacing hot water tanks with tankless systems.
 
According to the attached OSDM 8310, tankless water heater systems are permitted in Dayton public school buildings.
 
I am  urging you, in the name of sound public health policy, to act to prevent the growth of disease causing legionella bacteria, and begin the process of replacing the hot water tank systems in your buildings with tankless systems.
 
Respectfully,
 
Michael Korzen
Student,
The Ohio State University
College of Public Health
Facilitator and Organizer,
Ohio Legionella Prevention Initiative
email: korzen.1@osu.edu
 
 
 

Replacing Hot Water Heaters with Tankless Hot Water Systems in the Public Schools

Legionnaires Disease Prevention in Public Schools

 

KZ
Korzen, Michael Z.
|
Today 4:21 PM
carolyn.mcclure@ofcc.ohio.gov

 

Ms. McClure,

I am a student at the Ohio State College of Public Health in Columbus, Ohio, and the facilitator and organizer of the Ohio Legionella Prevention Initiative.

To date, I have sent out email letters to over 600 Ohio school superintendents regarding legionella prevention. In these emails I included information to be used as guidance by school districts to develop water safety programs. They received the just released CDC Tool Kit on legionella prevention, a copy of The Ohio State University Hospitals anti-legionella plan, a link to the New York State cooling tower inspection and registration law, and a copy of an actual water safety plan sent to me by an Ohio school system.

The next step on the agenda is to tackle the major causes of legionella growth leading to Legionnaires Disease – chief among these causes are hot water heating tanks. Besides causing a  great waste of energy, hot water tanks promote legionella growth by having different temperature levels inside the tanks.

Tankless hot water systems are clearly the answer for energy conservation, and for bacteria growth. Tankless water heaters can be arranged in banks to handle the hot water needs of schools. Recirculating pumps, built into some models, guarantee that the water left in the connecting pipe systems is kept at the proper temperature. Tankless water heaters also last longer than hot water tanks and take up much less space.

As the Ohio School Facilities Commission is now merged into your organization, you are nowthe issuer of Qualified School Cosntruction Bonds that were designed to provide funding for necessary upgrades such as tankless water heaters.

Can you please put me in touch with this office? These bonds can also be used for new construction, and it would be very important from a public health persspective that tankless systems be designed into new school buildings.

Sincerely,

Michael Korzen

Student,

The Ohio State University

College of Public Health

Facilitator,

Ohio Legionella Prevention Initiative

email: korzen.1@osu.edu

Our Mission

Hello!
 
I am a student in the College of Public Health at Ohio State In Columbus.
 
My interest is in the prevention of Legionnaires Disease in Ohio. In response to an outbreak in New York City last year, the State of New York Health department passed strict regulations for cooling towers/internal water systems that are now in effect.
 
New York is the only state to issue anti-legionella regulations that are enforceable under their public health law with criminal penalties.  Ohio has had the worst record for Legionnaires  Disease in the nation, yet there are no plans for similar anti-legionella regulations here. Ohio legionella prevention is voluntary, and will remain so.
 
* The purpose of my letter, which was sent to over 600 school superintendents in Ohio, is to get information into the hands of school districts regarding the prevention of Legionnaires Disease by delivering documents to use as guidance.
 
* I have sent the link to the New York Coolong Tower regulations, the CDC Tool KIt, the anti-legionella plan used by Ohio State University Hospitals, and a sample water safety plan sent to me by an actual school district in Ohio.
 
My next step is to work with school boards to eliminate some of the known causes of Legionnaires Disease such as hot water tanks.
 
Thanks for your interest ! Feel free to contact me anytime.
 
Sincerely,
 
Michael Zachary Korzen
Student,
College of Public Health
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
Facilitator of The Ohio Legionella Prevention Initiative
email: korzen.1@osu.edu

Letter to Ohio School Superintendents on Legionella Prevention

Dear Ohio School District Superintendent,
 
 
Please find attached a copy of the latest Center for Disease Control Tool Kit for the prevention of Legionaires Disease.
 
The CDC has confirmed that it is internal building water systems – cooling towers,water systems for showers – that cause the aerosolization of contaminated water and that the breathing in of these droplets causes legionellosis.
 
An Ohio school district is currently using the following Plan. The names of the District and vendors have been removed by request:
 

Legionella  Water Safety  Plan

1.       Public Schools personnel drain, power wash and vacuum the cooling tower annually before start-up.

 2.      Once the cooling tower is filled Environmental Water will shock the tower with Towerchlor based on system volume.

 

3.      The cooling towers are on a biocide program that is administered through a water treatment controller.  The treatments used are a non-oxidizing biocide (Ultrakleen #1), and an oxidizing biocide (Stabrom 909) to control bacteria levels in the cooling tower.  Monthly visits with XYZ Company testing for bacteria levels are performed and adjustments are made accordingly with reports.

 4.      Legionella testing is being initialized this July and will be tested by XYZ Laboratory.  

*Editor’s Note:  The term “Cooling Tower” now includes all building water systems, including heaters for shower water. Contaminated water that is aerosolized in showers is a major cause of infection.
Further guidance can be drawn from the New York State Health Department legionella prevention law, and from the legionella prevention program prepared by The Ohio State University, attached above.
 
Link to the New York law:
www.ny.gov
The new statewide regulations require registration, testing, inspection, and certification of cooling towers. View the regulations; Register your cooling tower
 
 
Sincerely,
Michael Zachary Korzen
Student,
College of Public Health
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
korzen.1@osu.edu