Silver News

Calgary Area Hospitals to Install Silver-Copper Ion Water Treatment Facilities
Officials Respond to Legionnaire’s Disease in Plumbing

Silver-Copper ion water treatment units are being installed at all 12 of Canada’s Calgary-region hospitals following the discovery of Legionnaires Disease at two health facilities.

The first incident was discovered at Rockyview General in December 2003 and testing began at all hospitals shortly thereafter. In June, Calgary Health Region officials announced they had discovered Legionella in water at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary.

“It takes some time to process these samples,” said Dr. Brent Friesen, medical officer of health for the region, at a news conference. He said that no evidence of the disease has been found in patients, but officials have decided press ahead with corrective measures by installing silver-copper ion treatment systems which prevent Legionnaires and other bacterial and fungal diseases from living in plumbing.   The first ionization unit is scheduled to be installed at Rockyview General in July, and the Children’s Hospital will get the next one. Until the unit is installed at Children’s Hospital, officials will regularly flush the water systems with super heated-water as a preventative measure. The units cost about $50,000 each.

Legionnaires’ disease, which is a type of pneumonia, can be fatal, mainly affecting those with respiratory diseases, especially the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.

Silver News - Third Quarter 2004