Cutting Carbon Emissions in Water Hygiene: The Environmental Benefits of Remote Legionella Monitoring in the Built Environment

<p dir="ltr"><i>Legionnaire’s disease presents a significant public health risk, yet current monitoring methods remain reactive. Traditional methods involve engineers conducting monthly site visits to collect temperature data from sentinel outlets. While effective, this approach has significant environmental and financial costs due to frequent travel.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><i>The rise of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has enabled remote monitoring across various industries, including water management. By transitioning to remote monitoring, this reduces annual site visits from twelve to one, which significantly cuts carbon emissions, water wastage, time and hence costs.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><i>This study presents the findings of two independent case studies assessing the environmental and operational impacts of implementing IoT-enabled remote monitoring. The first case study evaluates five sites (A to E). For instance, results from Site A indicate that replacing on-site monitoring with remote systems can reduce CO₂ emissions by 1,993 kg annually, a 96% decrease, alongside fuel cost savings of approximately £1,020. When extrapolated across all Aquatrust monitoring sites, requiring extensive travel, potential annual savings reach 49 tonnes of CO₂ and £24,500. The second case study, based on four representative outlet locations typical to these sites, shows a 90% reduction in water wastage, saving approximately 9,843 litres per year. Together, the findings highlight the significant sustainability and efficiency benefits of remote monitoring, including reduced manual intervention, improved regulatory compliance, and enhanced predictive maintenance enabled by continuous data collection.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><i>Additionally, IoT-driven systems improve efficiency by reducing manual testing and maintenance costs while ensuring compliance with water safety regulations. Furthermore, continuous data feeds enable trend analysis, allowing for predictive maintenance and early intervention. </i><i>However</i><i>, despite the clear benefits, challenges such as initial implementation costs, data security concerns, and industry resistance must be addressed. </i><i>Nevertheless</i><i>, pilot studies and regulatory incentives can facilitate a broader adoption.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><i>This approach represents a transformative step in Legionella risk management, offering scalable solutions for both industrial and domestic applications. Future research should focus on optimising deployment strategies and addressing industry-specific challenges, ensuring technology and sustainability continue to drive advancements in water hygiene management.</i></p>