Staff 'worked hard' to reopen leisure centre

Leisure centre and government staff worked hard to get the centre back open after the detection of Legionella bacteria, a senior official says.

Beau Sejour Leisure Centre was closed on 15 September after routine testing found the bacteria, which can occasionally cause Legionnaires' disease.

The centre reopened on Monday after the water system had been "thoroughly disinfected". As an additional precaution, filters have now also been installed across the site.

Mark Ogier, director of estates for the States of Guernsey, praised the work of teams who worked "really hard" to allow users to return.

There have been no known cases of Legionnaires' disease following the testing, according to the States of Guernsey.

Ogier said: "We are always regularly testing our water systems - it [Legionella bacteria] is present in water supplies everywhere. It is just a question of whether it is in the sufficient numbers to cause a problem.

"Once we could see we had a number of potential positives coming through, it made sense to shut down the system.

"I think, whilst there is a risk it is very low, it is a naturally occurring bacteria that you will find in any water course.

"This is in streams, any ponds - anywhere, it is just quantities and man-made systems are an area where it can grow.

"It is obviously something we monitor and look out for, but it is not something we would want to panic over."

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