Water Management for Construction: Evidence for Risk Characterization in Community and Healthcare Settings: A Systematic Review

Molly M. Scanlon, James L. Gordon, William F. McCoy and Melissa F. Cain
Additional contact information
Molly M. Scanlon: Phigenics, LLC, 3S701 West Avenue, Suite 100, Warrenville, IL 60555, USA
James L. Gordon: Gordon Architectural Design, Coronado, CA 92118, USA
William F. McCoy: Phigenics, LLC, 3S701 West Avenue, Suite 100, Warrenville, IL 60555, USA
Melissa F. Cain: Phigenics, LLC, 3S701 West Avenue, Suite 100, Warrenville, IL 60555, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-20

Abstract: Construction activities are a known risk contributing to the growth and spread of waterborne pathogens in building water systems. The purpose of the study is to integrate evidence for categorizing construction activity risk factors contributing to waterborne disease in community and healthcare settings, establish severity of such risk factors and identify knowledge gaps. Using a systematic review, the inclusion criteria were: (1) studies with disease cases suspected to be associated with construction activities and waterborne pathogens, and (2) active construction work described in a community or healthcare setting. Each construction activity risk factor was correlated across all studies with the number of disease cases and deaths to establish risk severity. The eligibility review and quantitative synthesis yielded 31 studies for inclusion (community, n = 7 and healthcare, n = 24). From 1965 to 2016, a total of 894 disease cases inclusive of 112 deaths were associated with nine construction activity risk factors and waterborne pathogens. The present study findings support the need for building owners, water management teams and public health professionals to address construction activity risk factors and the analysis of current knowledge deficiencies within the scope of an ongoing water management program. The impact of construction activities on waterborne disease is preventable and should no longer be considered incidental nor accidental.

Keywords: water management; water safety; construction; Legionella; nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM); risk characterization; waterborne pathogens; prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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