In the UK, most irrigation systems are seasonal, they operate for a proportion of the year. The remainder of the time they are dormant allowing the water to stagnate which in turn permits biofilm and bacteria to proliferate.
If some of the bacteria present are legionella, even small populations of these can increase enough to become a risk during the off season period.
So premises such as football stadiums, lawn tennis courts, golf courses need to take precautions to stop bacteria multiplying and ensure their staff or players are not put at risk.
Regular tests for legionella within the irrigation systems will monitor how effective the treatment regimes are performing. If the legionella bacteria are found, then they can be dealt with before their concentrations become high enough to cause illness.
