Yesterday, March 13 Actions to be taken in three Vilnius apartment buildings (Tuskulėnų St. 5, Ladygos St. 3, Architektų St. 79) were discussed at the meeting of the Vilnius Municipality's Emergency Operations Center (Operations Center) in order to eliminate the contamination of hot water systems with Legionella bacteria.
The administrators of apartment buildings provided information about the results of thermal disinfection. The three-day thermal disinfection has been completed in two houses (Tuskulėnai St. 5 and Ladygos St. 3), and in one house (Architektų St. 79) it is planned to be finished tomorrow, March 14. According to preliminary data, the thermal disinfection was carried out correctly, that is, the temperature of the hot water in the users' taps was raised to 65 degrees, that is, the temperature at which Legionella bacteria are killed.
In order to make sure whether the thermal disinfection was effective and its consequences will be long-lasting, hot water tests must be carried out several times in the aforementioned three apartment buildings. It is suggested to perform them for the first time a day after disinfection, the second time - after 10 days and then every two weeks for three months. Only after carrying out these tests and not finding Legionella bacteria in the water can it be said with certainty that the hot water systems are properly disinfected.
The State Energy Inspectorate, for its part, informed the members of the meeting that it is currently conducting inspections in all three houses, i.e. checking the hot water systems, the reached water temperature, etc.
It was also decided that the Operations Center will propose to the Vilnius City Emergency Situations Commission to carry out thermal disinfection in other Vilnius apartment buildings, which are supplied with hot water centrally, in order to avoid contamination of other systems. Decisions on when and how disinfection will be carried out will be made by the Emergency Situations Commission, which will be notified additionally.
