An audit suggests health regulations should be overhauled to better cover Legionnaires’ risk.

A report released by the WA acting auditor-general has warned that current measures in place for monitoring and reporting air and water systems may not be enough to manage the risk of Legionnaires’ disease. 

The disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria, which is often found in air-handling and water systems such as cooling towers, evaporative air conditioners and warm water systems in hospitals and office buildings. 

The report, which assessed the effectiveness of the regulation of such systems by WA Health and local government entities, found inconsistencies in how owners maintain and test their systems and concluded that the existing regulatory framework requires improvement.

The report further suggested that it would be complacent to assume nothing will go wrong if things did not change, and warned that just because an outbreak of the potentially life-threatening lung infection had not occurred in WA, it did not mean it could not still happen. 

Acting auditor-general Sandra Labuschagne pointed to a department review in 2021 that also concluded the current regulations in WA should be updated, with advice for new legislation to give the department responsibility for high-risk settings and state-owned buildings.

“Our audit found inconsistencies in how owners maintain and test their systems and that the existing regulatory framework requires improvement,” Labuschagne said. 

“There is limited monitoring of air-handling and water systems so it is not clear if low case numbers are the result of good practice by system owners, environmental factors or both.”

The report was tabled in parliament last Friday and included recommendations for WA Health to raise awareness among system owners with an education program, as well as provide better support to these organisations. 

The auditor also recommended creating a central register of all air-handling and water systems in the state to help to identify and respond to Legionella investigations.

Labuschagne noted the need for law reform was a small part of broader changes needed that would take time to implement. She urged government agencies to act now to lift air and water monitoring for the potentially deadly bacteria. 

“Rather than await new legislation, I encourage all state and local government entities that own these systems to maintain and test in accordance with standards,” the auditor-general said.

The report further recommended new ways for local government entities to gather information about air-handling and water systems that could be fed into the central register, as well as a new risk-based monitoring/compliance process for local systems. 

The recommendations highlight the importance of improving the monitoring and regulation of air and water systems to prevent the spread of Legionnaires’ disease in WA.