Technology | Remedial & Ongoing Treatment

At Micromanagement, we have patented, state-of-the-art remediation technology that we use to establish microbial control. We also have best-in-class continuous supplemental disinfection (CSD) protocols that we use to maintain microbial control. Deployed together, our Acute and CSD treatment processes help to prevent Legionnaires’ disease and other waterborne infections associated with building water systems.

Acute Technology for Remedial Treatment

Our core remediation technology was invented by world-renowned disinfection chemists. The technology is covered by US Patent No. 10,696,572, Methods for Eradicating Biofilms from Plumbing Systems, issued on June 30, 2020, and has been licensed exclusively to Micromanagement Inc. The patented process uses a combination of chemicals, including the oxidizing biocides chlorine and chlorine dioxide, each of which is approved for drinking water. The remedial treatment was designed to target plumbing biofilms, the complex heterogeneous aggregates of microorganisms and exogenous materials embedded in a highly hydrated matrix made up of a variety of constituents, including polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. The development, chemical composition, microbial diversity, morphology and activity of plumbing biofilms are affected by a number of factors, including water temperature, pH, hardness, disinfection history and the composition of the plumbing surface upon which the biofilm forms. For example, biofilms that form on copper pipes in a building’s hot water system are different from the biofilms that form on the interior surfaces of transmission mains, even in the same overall water system. The patented remedial treatment chemistry is proven effective at establishing microbial control across a wide range of plumbing systems, even where the repeated application of traditional remediation methods—thermal shock, hyper chlorination—have failed.

Continuous Supplemental Disinfection for Ongoing Treatment

Chlorine, used to treat public water supplies for over 100 years, has proven reliable for safe, broad-spectrum disinfection. Properly applied, it has few unintended consequences. In most cases, if water usage is sufficient, the chlorine residual in the water supplied to the building persists throughout the building all the way to the sinks, showers, and other water use endpoints. However, when the water is heated the chlorine residual is rapidly depleted. Therefore, we most often apply continuous supplemental disinfection to the recirculating hot water system, in order to replace the chlorine that is lost on heating. By using precision dosing equipment, special sensors and positive feedback control, we are able to maintain chlorine residual levels throughout the building’s hot water system all the way to the sinks, showers, and other water use endpoints. Our target chlorine residual levels typically are comparable to the levels in the cold-water supply, about 0.5 – 1.0 parts-per-million. The details of our continuous supplemental disinfection protocols are always tailored to the specific facility.