Severn Trent Water is warning spa pool owners and operators to maintain their efforts to manage the risk of Legionella after a man from Dublin died after contracting Legionnaires' disease from a hot tub.

Increasingly popular in sports complexes, hotels, health clubs and cruise ships, spa pools create near perfect breeding conditions for the potentially fatal bacteria.

Incorrectly maintained spa pools can become the source of infection, not only for bathers but also for anyone close enough to breathe in the spray.

Severn Trent points out that managers of leisure facilities with spa pools could face criminal charges if their failure to maintain the pools leads to an outbreak of the disease, with warm water, human skin cells and water circulating jets mimicking the laboratory conditions needed for the growth of the bacteria.

By law, spa pool operators have to assess and mitigate the risks presented by their pools in relation to the bacteria and the company advises that following the Health and Safety Commission's Approved Code of Practice (L8) is the best way of doing this.

Water Guardian, a service from Severn Trent Water, provides advice on preventing and managing Legionella to spa pool operators, and a free initial assessment of Legionella procedures and awareness can be carried out on line at www.do-you-comply.com.

leisure-kit keywords: Severn Trent Water