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