GoedeStede Housing Association

GoedeStede, a housing corporation in Almere, manages approximately 8,600 housing units, including several priority locations. The organization is responsible for the rental and maintenance of these locations, including ensuring water safety, an increasingly important topic due to the risks of Legionella. When one of their care facilities began to show structural problems with legionella, Ivo Hoppe, Manager of Real Estate at GoedeStede, decided to take action.

Challenge

The challenge was to effectively and structurally address legionella issues in an existing water installation with outdated galvanized pipes. In addition, GoedeStede wanted to find a reliable partner for managing water safety, including risk analyses, management plans, and periodic inspections.

Solution: copper and silver ionisation with HW Bifipro®

GoedeStede came into contact with Holland Water, a specialist in water treatment and legionella prevention. After a thorough analysis, GoedeStede chose the HW Bifipro® copper and silver ionisation system from Holland Water. This system combats legionella in two ways:

• Copper ions kill the biofilm in the pipes, which serves as a breeding ground for bacteria.
• Silver ions kill the bacteria themselves.

This provided a comprehensive approach to the legionella problem in the installation. After a successful installation by Holland Water, a follow-up question arose: the need for structural management of the water installation.

_{The text continues below the image.}

Legionella Management and Support

Given the positive experiences, GoedeStede decided to also outsource the management of the drinking water installation to Holland Water. This included, among other things:

• Drawing up a risk analysis and a legionella management plan
• Periodic sampling of the water
• Carrying out check valve inspections

In addition, discussions have started to investigate more priority locations of GoedeStede and possibly implement additional water safety measures.

Results and Future Plans

The initial results of the legionella control with HW Bifipro® are positive. GoedeStede now has the legionella issue structurally under control. The next step is to further make water management more sustainable. Thanks to the copper and silver ionization technology, the boiler temperature can be lowered to 50°C, resulting in significant energy savings. The flushing frequency can also be reduced from weekly to biweekly, enabling water savings once the installation has been proven clean.

Conclusion

With the help of Holland Water, GoedeStede has found a structural solution for its legionella problems. By choosing a preventive approach in both priority and non-priority locations, such as daycare centers, GoedeStede ensures that water safety remains guaranteed. The collaboration with Holland Water has not only led to improved water safety, but also to opportunities for further sustainability and efficiency improvements.

All solutions