Holland Water and OxGreenfield join forces against legionellosis outbreaks
Water technology company Holland Water has announced a capital setup to expand its business for its Bifipro bacteria control technology in the fight against legionellosis outbreak in the Netherlands, Europe and the Middle East.
The capital setup follows an investment by private equity firm OxGreenfield.
Structural solution to combat breakouts
Founder of Holland Water, Leo de Zeeuw, expects that the company can now expand much faster internationally. De Zeeuw started the company after a legionellosis outbreak in Boven-Karspel, the Netherlands in 1999. With at least 32 dead and 206 severe infections, it was the deadliest outbreak since the original 1976 outbreak in Philadelphia, USA.
‘Strict regulations, certification requirements and the stigma attached to legionella have not stopped us from solving structural legionella problems once and for all’, De Zeeuw continues. He refers to the development of the Bifipro control technology that eliminates biofilms in water pipes by dosing copper and silver ions. The majority of bacteria in the drinking water system occur in biofilms rather than in the water phase.
Safer water worldwide
So far, Holland Water sold more than 700 installations in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Poland and the UAE. ‘But we want and can do more, which is why I started looking for reinforcement”, adds De Zeeuw. ‘We look forward to taking this leap together with OxGreenfield to help buildings all over the world to get rid of their legionella problems’.
The Covid pandemic put the combat against legionellosis outbreaks higher on the global agenda. The lock down of many buildings poses a risk as stagnating water in piping systems can create conditions where harmful bacteria, including Legionella, can proliferate.
Several governments and health organisations have warned for such outbreaks when reopening these buildings.
Stand up against stigma
A new management team has been installed, led by Rogier van den Brink. The new CEO announced he will stand up against the legionella stigma. ‘Building owners prefer not to talk about legionella, which is why Holland Water has a relatively modest reputation. But that is undeserved. We offer the only full-fledged solution against legionella.’
