The next several blog posts are going to be a series that highlight a very important recent 2020 study published by the National Academies of Sciences about the management of Legionella in water systems. This comes at an important time, as Legionella is the number one cause of reported waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine produced a report that addressed the current state of the science with regard to Legionella. As a result, they included the current ecology, disease diagnosis, quantification, prevention and control, policy and guidance, and all associated research needs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested the National Academies of Sciences produce this report. It took more than two years to produce this report. Over those two years, a committee of experts conducted a scientific literature review on the state of the science. As a result, they covered the covering the biology, and ecology of the bacteria; outbreaks and disease surveillance; environmental data from all types of building water systems; control methods; and rules and guidelines for addressing Legionella contamination. In addition, they conducted some original data analyses, and formulated their own independent conclusions and recommendations that were meant to improve management of Legionella contamination of water systems. Consequently, this will hopefully lead to better control of Legionnaires’ disease in the United States. In this paragraph, I am going to talk about the history of The National Academy of Sciences. Firstly, the National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln. It is a private, nongovernmental institution that advises the nation on issues related to science and technology. Secondly, members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. The Management of Legionella in Water Systems is a consensus study report. In other words, it is an evidence-based consensus that was authored by a committee of experts. Furthermore, this report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the management of Legionella in water systems. [1] Click here for a free consultation! THE MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY JULES ZACHER, P.C. FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT LEGAL ADVICE OR A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL COUNSEL. [1] https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25474/management-of-legionella-in-water-systems