Chapter 22, Problem 1CA

The source of Legionella causing hospital-acquired pneumonia has been linked to hospital water supplies. In healthcare settings, hot water coming out of the faucet should not be hotter than $40.6°C$ to prevent scalding skin. However, Legionella can grow if incubated at that temperature. The CDC recommendation for hot water storage (in a hot water heater) is significantly higher. Using the DRT values below, determine how long it would take to kill ${10}^7$ Legionella cells at $45°C$. Heating water is expensive, so what is the minimum temperature (from the data) that you would recommend for hospital water storage? Briefly explain.