Transforming a building lobby to be more appealing to tenants and visitors could change the space’s environment in unexpected ways. Window condensation could become a problem if proper planning is ignored. (Learn more about the condensation issues.)
A properly administered water management system integrated with automated monitoring and reporting can save money… and save lives.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), around 6,000 Legionnaires’ disease cases are reported each year in the United States. However, scientists believe the reported totals are much lower than the actual cases due in part to the difficulty in distinguishing Legionnaires’ disease from other types of pneumonia. The Legionella bacteria causing the disease could be lurking in your building’s water systems, according to ESD Technical Director for Plumbing James Dipping. He says if your building doesn’t have a good water management plan, at best, you are missing out on potential cost savings and at worst, you could be exposing your occupants to an unhealthy environment putting your organization at risk of costly lawsuits.
Dipping says a qualified, independent engineering consultant can help create an effective water management plan that identifies potential areas of concern. They can also identify the best ways to integrate water intelligence systems with other building automated systems (BAS) to increase monitoring, safety, and cost savings.
This article was subsequently posted by leading industry publication Consulting-Specifying Engineer (CSE) magazine.
James Dipping brings more than two decades of experience to his role as technical director, plumbing engineering. He freely shares his knowledge to further ESD’s mission to improve society through the built environment.
For more information on how plumbing engineering may impact your facility, reach out to ESD’s Plumbing Engineering team.
