Frequently asked questions

1. What is the best way to prevent Legionella in shower heads?

Legionella prevention requires a comprehensive water management strategy that addresses water temperature, stagnation, biofilm and potential bacterial growth throughout the water system.

Safe Shower introduces an additional point-of-use approach: rather than relying exclusively on treating the main water supply, flushing pipes or disinfecting flowing water, its technology is designed to disinfect water remaining inside the shower head between uses.

This approach targets the final section of the water system, where residual water may remain after showering. Safe Shower is intended to complement, not replace, established building water management and Legionella control measures.

2. Can Legionella grow inside a shower head?

Yes. Shower heads and shower hoses can provide conditions that support microbial growth, particularly when water stagnates and biofilm develops on internal surfaces.

Safe Shower is designed to address this specific challenge. Its outlet valves close when the water stops flowing, helping retain water inside the shower head. The system is designed to periodically recirculate this retained water through a UV-C disinfection unit.

The objective is to address the water remaining at the point of use between showers, rather than relying only on disinfection while water is flowing.

3. Is there a shower head that prevents Legionella?

Technologies used to manage Legionella risk include point-of-use filters, thermal control, flushing and UV disinfection systems.

Safe Shower is developing a shower-based solution that combines a specialized outlet-valve design with UV-C treatment and recirculation of residual water. Its approach focuses on disinfecting water inside the shower head between uses, as well as treating water during operation in system configurations designed for that purpose.

The effectiveness of any solution must be assessed under its intended operating conditions and validated through appropriate microbiological testing.

4. Can stagnant water inside a shower head be disinfected?

Yes, disinfection of retained water is technically possible, but its effectiveness depends on the treatment method, exposure conditions, water characteristics and system design.

Safe Shower is designed to periodically circulate retained water through a UV-C disinfection unit during standby. This approach aims to address water that remains inside the shower head after use, including water that conventional systems treating only flowing water may not address between showers.

The effectiveness of this approach should be established through controlled testing and ongoing validation.

5. Is flushing a shower enough to prevent Legionella?

Flushing is an established component of water management in certain circumstances, especially for outlets that are used infrequently. However, flushing alone does not guarantee elimination of Legionella throughout a water system.

Safe Shower is designed to provide an additional layer of control at the shower outlet by treating retained water between uses. This may help reduce reliance on flushing as the sole intervention at the point of use, subject to demonstrated effectiveness and the requirements of the building's water management program.

Flushing and other established control measures should continue whenever required by the applicable risk assessment and guidelines.

6. What is the difference between UV disinfection and Safe Shower?

Conventional UV systems are commonly designed to treat water as it passes through a disinfection chamber. Their performance depends on system design, UV dose, water quality and operating conditions.

Safe Shower focuses on a different challenge: the water that remains inside the shower head between uses. Its design incorporates a UV-C unit and a recirculation mechanism intended to bring retained water back through the disinfection chamber during standby.

The distinction is therefore not simply UV versus another disinfectant. It is also where and when disinfection takes place.

7. How can hospitals prevent Legionella in showers?

Hospitals should implement a comprehensive water management program that includes risk assessment, temperature management, appropriate maintenance, monitoring, and control of stagnation and biofilm.

Safe Shower may provide an additional point-of-use intervention for selected shower outlets, particularly where residual water and infrequent use are concerns.

In a pilot at Barzilai Medical Center, Safe Shower was installed at selected shower points, and three sampling events with the system installed produced compliant results, according to the reported pilot summary. These findings are encouraging but do not, by themselves, establish universal effectiveness or prove that the system caused the results.

Further controlled testing can help determine the technology's role in healthcare water safety programs.

8. How can hotels reduce Legionella risk while saving water and energy?

Hotels must manage Legionella risks while maintaining safe hot-water systems and limiting unnecessary water and energy consumption.

Safe Shower is designed to provide an additional treatment step at the shower outlet, targeting retained water between uses. If validated in the relevant installation, this approach could potentially reduce the need for some repeated flushing interventions at individual outlets.

Actual savings depend on the building, existing procedures, installation requirements and operating conditions. Water and energy savings should be measured rather than assumed.

9. How do shower filters compare with Safe Shower?

Point-of-use filters and Safe Shower use different approaches.

• Point-of-use filters: Appropriately rated filters can physically retain Legionella and other microorganisms as water passes through them, provided they are correctly selected, installed and maintained.

• Safe Shower: Uses a designed combination of outlet valves, UV-C treatment and recirculation intended to disinfect residual water inside the shower head between uses.

The technologies should be compared using evidence on microbial reduction, reliability, maintenance requirements, lifecycle costs and performance under actual operating conditions. They should not be considered interchangeable without that evaluation.

10. What makes Safe Shower different from conventional Legionella prevention methods?

The central concept behind Safe Shower is to focus on the final section of the water system.

Many water management approaches focus on controlling the broader plumbing system, maintaining suitable temperatures, flushing outlets or treating water as it flows through a disinfection unit.

Safe Shower is designed to address the residual water inside the shower head itself. Its outlet valves help retain water, while a UV-C unit and recirculation mechanism are intended to treat that water during standby.

The guiding principle is: not only how to disinfect water, but where and when to disinfect it.

That is the core technological distinction Safe Shower aims to establish through further testing and validation.

• Can Legionella grow inside a shower head?

• Can Legionella survive in water left inside a shower hose?

• Does stagnant water in a shower head pose a Legionella risk?

• Can Legionella grow in shower heads between uses?

• How do you disinfect a shower hose and shower head?