German holiday rentals face legionella risk, electronic faucets offer solution

Stagnant water in unoccupied holiday apartments can foster legionella bacteria, which cause severe lung infections. European monitoring attributes roughly one‑fifth of legionellosis cases to travel‑related stays; in Germany the Robert Koch Institute records over 2,200 cases annually, a rising trend.

German water‑regulations obligate owners and landlords to perform a full water turnover at least every 72 hours and to have warm‑water systems inspected for legionella every three years. Manual flushing of every tap is often impractical for multi‑unit vacation properties.

SCHELL’s electronic faucets provide automatic stagnation flushes, ensuring regular water exchange even during empty periods. The devices can be programmed via Bluetooth and the SCHELL app to run at set intervals, helping owners meet hygiene requirements while limiting water waste.