On this page: Background | Educational Resources | Setting-Specific Resources | Regulatory Resources
Background
Water can carry germs that threaten the safety of patients or residents in healthcare facilities. These germs may be drug-resistant or cause healthcare-associated infections.
Healthcare facilities can reduce risks associated with water through good infection prevention practices like environmental cleaning and disinfection. It is also important to manage the building’s premise plumbing system. This involves having a water management program, conducting a water infection control risk assessment, reducing exposure from sinks and drains, and making good sink design choices.
Educational Resources
VDH Infection Prevention and Control Assessments: The HAI/AR team is available to conduct a no-cost, non-regulatory, onsite visit to help a facility identify its infection prevention strengths and areas of opportunity.
- Environmental Infection Control Guidelines – Water Management
- From Plumbing to Patients: Outbreaks and Water Management Programs in Healthcare Settings (slides, recording)
- Germs Live in Water and on Wet Surfaces (Project Firstline infographic)
- Guidance for Healthcare Water System Repair and Recovery Following a Boil Water Alert or Disruption of Water Supply
- Healthcare Facility Water Management Program Checklist
- Preventing Legionnaires’ Disease: A Training on Legionella Water Management Programs
- Reduce Risk from Water: Healthcare-Associated Infections website
- “Think Sink: Reducing the Risk from Plumbing to Patients” (9/6/2024) (webinar recording)
- Toolkit: Developing a Legionella Water Management Program
- Water Exposure Observation Form
- Water Infection Control Risk Assessment for Healthcare Settings
Project Firstline - CDC’s Project Firstline provides innovative and accessible infection control education for all frontline healthcare workers.
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)
HQI
- “Splash zone” resources
Virginia Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Group
- Virginia Infection Prevention & Control Training Alliance (VIPTA) – search the education and training resource library for resources related to water
VCU Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center
- Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center (VIPTC) - courses and trainings related to infection prevention and control
- “Staying Safe in the Splash Zone” (video)
Setting-Specific Resources
CDC Interfacility Transfer Form - The patient transfer form helps make it easier to share information when patients are moved between different places for care. Hospitals and groups focused on making patient safety better can change and use this form to fit their needs.
Water Exposure resources specific to clinic settings:
- Water Use in Dialysis (CDC)
View Clinics homepage