Smart technology for optimal drinking water hygiene in healthcare facilities

Hygiene requirements in hospitals and other healthcare facilities are logically high. And that, of course, also applies to drinking water hygiene. After all, bacteria such as legionella or pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause serious illness in patients with poor health. With the help of stagnation flushes or thermal disinfections, the electronic water management system SWS from Schell supports the maintenance of drinking water quality.

The use of electronic, non-contact faucets and flushing systems is a first step in improving hygiene in healthcare facilities. Because patients no longer need to touch the faucets and the water flow time can be set, the transmission of bacteria is reduced. Using electronic, sanitary systems such as Schell's SWS water management system, flushing of pipes can also be scheduled and performed automatically to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

The Charité, a teaching hospital in Berlin, uses the Schell water management system. The hospital was looking for reliable technology that prevents the spread of harmful bacteria in sensitive departments such as the new operating rooms. As part of the hygiene plan, the use of sanitary facilities and water temperature had to be constantly monitored and recorded. Since the operating rooms are at the end and therefore in the critical part of the drinking water system, stagnant water had to be prevented. Even during holidays and weekends. Therefore, stagnation flushes had to be performed automatically at fixed times and at critical temperatures.

The Charité uses contactless VITUS faucets from Schell in the surgery department, which are connected by the smart SWS water management system. SWS monitors and controls the water temperature and automatically performs flushes at critical water temperatures. Even with fluctuations in the frequency of use, the pipes are flushed regularly.

Thanks to a convenient addition to the SWS water management system, it is possible to configure, operate and monitor all connected taps remotely as well. Thanks to the online service SMART.SWS, the administrator has a central overview of all faucets. The faucets, which are connected to SWS, can be controlled from any device with an Internet connection. Administrators can set up different user roles, allowing facility managers to access only the data of the departments or buildings relevant to them. The online tool also provides access to information on usage, status and any technical problems. All system-relevant data is recorded, so one can always show what measures have been taken - for example, as part of legionella prevention.

Schell also offers attractive solutions for smaller, medical practices. Dental practice Sterdent in Sterrebeek, Belgium, has also installed electronic sink fixtures from Schell. The CELIS faucets have an infrared sensor that allows the water to flow and stop as soon as hands come in or out of range of the sensor. Thus, there is no need to touch the faucets. 

The sensor range and water flow time can be set for each faucet, and automatic stagnation flushes can be scheduled and performed up to 24 hours after the last use. The stagnation flush is a function that can be programmed in the electronics of the faucet itself.

The dental practice also uses the convenient Schell Single Control SSC Bluetooth module, which connects to the faucet and controls and records stagnation flushes. The module can also be used as a mobile tool for configuring and reading the status of the faucet. The app, which is suitable for iOS and Android, can also be used to copy settings very simply to other faucets of the same type. Thanks to Schell's electronic products and solutions, monitoring water quality and managing sanitary installations becomes not only easy, but also very (cost) efficient.