Ensuring compliance with AS 5369:2023, Water Hygiene and Legionella Risk Management is essential for every healthcare facility. But for one large Queensland regional hospital, the importance extended even further: their water hygiene practices directly influenced the safety of reusable medical devices reprocessed in their Sterile Services Department (SSD).
This is the story of how the hospital transformed a fragmented, paper heavy water compliance program into a single, coordinated, fully traceable system using Do Diligence, and how that shift contributed to safer patient care.
The Challenge: Fragmented Processes, Operational Blind Spots, and Downstream Risk
Before adopting Do Diligence, the hospital relied on spreadsheets, manual logs, and email driven communication to manage AS 5369 requirements across a large portfolio of water systems. They struggled with:
- No central visibility over multiple clinical buildings and plant rooms
- Inconsistent task completion, particularly around flushing and temperature monitoring
- Difficulty providing audit evidence for accreditation and water hygiene committees
- Limited traceability between water hygiene events and potential downstream impacts
One area of particular concern was the connection between water hygiene and the safe reprocessing of reusable medical devices:
- Washer-disinfectors and sterilisation equipment rely on clean, microbiologically safe water
- Non-compliance can contribute to biofilm formation, equipment failures, or compromised reprocessing
- AS 5369 compliance is therefore not only about environmental safety, but it also supports instrument safety
The hospital needed a modern system that could strengthen oversight across all of these areas.
The Solution: Digitised Compliance with Downstream Safety Benefits
By working with Do Diligence, the hospital gained a centralised digital environment for managing every AS 5369 requirement. Key capabilities included:
- A single view of all water systems
Technical staff, infection prevention, and sterile services leadership could all access the same real time information on:
- Risk prone outlets
- Hot and cold-water system performance
- Microbiological sampling trends
- Maintenance schedules
This shared visibility was particularly valuable for the Sterile Services team, who needed assurance that water used in reprocessing equipment remained within safe parameters.
2. Automated task scheduling aligned to AS 5369
Including:
- Temperature monitoring
- Legionella and heterotrophic plate count sampling
- Preventive maintenance on storage and distribution systems
- Flushing regimes that protect against stagnation and biofilm buildup
Every completed task directly contributed to maintaining the water quality required by reprocessing equipment.
3. Mobile logging and real-time reporting
Staff and contractors completed tasks on the go, with instant updates that could be reviewed by engineering, infection control, and the SSD manager.
4. Audit-ready traceability
The hospital could now demonstrate:
- Compliance at every outlet
- Evidence of timely corrective actions
- Trends in water quality
- Links between water hygiene results and SSD equipment requirements
This strengthened both regulatory confidence and clinical risk management.
The Results: Stronger Compliance and Safer Instrument Reprocessing.
Within six months, Do Diligence delivered measurable improvements:
- An estimated 25% increase in on-time task completion
- Full traceability for all water hygiene activities
- Improved water quality monitoring supporting SSD operations
- Reduced downtime for washer-disinfectors due to fewer water-related anomalies
- Greater clinician and governance confidence in reprocessing safety
The hospital’s Infection and Control Manager noted:
“Confidence in reliable water quality is the backbone of safe instrument reprocessing. With Do Diligence, we finally have real time visibility and evidence to support our compliance that our devices are safe for use.”
Why This Matters?
Water hygiene compliance isn’t just about preventing environmental Legionella risk; it’s directly connected to:
- Sterile Services performance
- Reusable medical device safety
- Accreditation standards
- Patient outcomes
AS 5369 outlines clear expectations and Do Diligence gives healthcare organisations the ability to meet them confidently, consistently, and transparently.
Conclusion
By digitising their water hygiene compliance through Do Diligence, the Queensland hospital not only strengthened their AS 5369 management but also enhanced the safety and reliability of their reusable medical device reprocessing workflows.
For healthcare organisations seeking both regulatory confidence and improved clinical safety, this case study highlights how the right software can make a measurable difference.
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