403 Navigating the New Frontier: Patsy Root on Legionella Legislation

What if you could help write the rules that keep us all safe? 

In this episode, Trace Blackmore sits down with the passionate and highly knowledgeable Patsy Root, Senior Manager Government Affairs at IDEXX Water, to dive into the nitty-gritty of Legionella legislation. With a career fueled by her love of water—whether it’s sailing, scuba diving, or protecting public health—Patsy brings an inspiring perspective to the table. She doesn’t just talk about the problem; she’s actively working to solve it.

Here’s what you’ll get from this episode:

• The Current State of Legionella Legislation: Patsy provides a comprehensive overview of Legionella regulations across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. She dives into case studies comparing New York and Quebec as well as France and other European nations, highlighting the successes and challenges of their approaches.

• Scientific Insights into Legionella: Discover the biological complexity of Legionella, its various species, and why Legionella pneumophila stands out as the most significant threat. Learn why focusing on the right indicators is crucial for effective water management.

• Best Practices for Water Treaters and Lawmakers: Patsy shares actionable recommendations for water treaters to improve public health while maintaining cost-efficiency. From adopting ASHRAE 188 guidelines to advocating for better legislation, this episode is packed with practical advice.

• Proactive vs. Reactive: Ever wonder why so many water regulations only come after a crisis? Patsy talks about how the water treatment industry—and you—can help shift the conversation to prevention before it’s too late.

• The Power of Collaboration: Patsy emphasizes the value of networking through industry committees like AWT’s Legislative and Regulatory Committee and how collaboration fosters innovation and knowledge sharing.

• Practical Tips for Water Treaters: If you’re a water treater looking to stay ahead of the game, Patsy shares actionable advice on how to implement cost-effective, efficient water management plans that actually protect public health. 

The Bottom Line 
This episode isn’t just about rules—it’s about solutions. Whether you’re a water treater, a building manager, or just someone who wants to understand what’s really in your water, Patsy’s insights will change the way you think about managing risk.

Your Next Move 
Check out the Legionella Resources page at ScalingUpH2O.com for even more tools and insights from industry leaders. Share this episode with your team or clients to spark conversations that could save lives—and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Let’s work together to build a safer, healthier future, one drop at a time.

Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! 

Timestamps  
03:04 - Trace announces a poll to assess the value of reading event details on the podcast and guides listeners to the events page on the website.
04:20 - Water You Know with James McDonald
05: 53 - Interview with Patsy Root, Senior Manager Government Affairs of IDEXX Water about Patsy's paper on global Legionella regulations and the importance of learning from international practices.
11:24 – Legionella Legislation Overview
39:49 - Practical Recommendations for Water Treater

Quotes 
“It is the best way to network and grow the community around you of subject matter experts - by volunteering.” - Patsy Root
“What we need to do with each other is we need to understand where things are happening, what's happening, and how much of that we should consider leveraging - as best practice.” - Patsy Root 

Connect with Patsy Root 
Phone: [phone] 
Email: [email protected] 
Website: https://www.idexx.com/en/water/  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/idexx-laboratories/

Click HERE to Download Episode's Discussion Guide

Guest Resources Mentioned  
Data and Case Study of Effective Legionella Regulations by Patsy Root 
NASEM's Management of Legionella in Water Systems (2019) 
MD 15161 - 2013 Control of Legionella in Mechanical Systems
Assessment of monitoring approaches to control Legionella pneumophila within a complex cooling tower system by Michele Prevost et al  
The Legionella collagen-like protein employs a distinct binding mechanism for the recognition of host glycosaminoglycans by Garnett et al 
The 5 bacterial indicators used by WHO were published in 2013 by Dufour et al 
The 5 bacterial indicators used by WHO covered by KWR Publication starting on Page 54 – Section 7.4.4.

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned 
AWT (Association of Water Technologies)
Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses
Submit a Show Idea
The Rising Tide Mastermind 
348 Credentials and Codes: Plumbing Strategies Against Legionella 
ASHRAE Guideline 12-2020: Managing the Risk of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems 
ASHRAE Standard 188-2018, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems (ANSI Approved) 
ASHRAE Standard-188-2021, Building Water Management Plans – Summary 
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 514, Risk Management for Building Water Systems: Physical, Chemical, and Microbial Hazard

Water You Know with James McDonald 
Question: What is the process called when you mathematically correct the impacts of changes in feedwater quality, temperature, and pressure on reverse osmosis membrane data as compared to a baseline?  

2025 Events for Water Professionals 
Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we’ve listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.