Legionella are rod-shaped bacteria that are always present in water - in the sea, in lakes, in groundwater, in the water cycle in the house, sports halls and public baths. At water temperatures between 20°C and 50°C, Legionella feel particularly comfortable and can multiply rapidly and en masse.

Pseudomonads are cold water bacteria that cause similar diseases as Legionella.

E-coli and enterococci are filamentous bacteria that cause dangerous intestinal infections.

Biofilms in hot water pipes and tanks form an additional ideal "breeding ground" for Legionella.

Especially when showering, bathing and in the whirlpool, the Legionella get into the air we breathe with the water vapor. If inhaled, legionella can cause a severe form of pneumonia - Legionnaires' disease. Official estimates suggest that up to 30,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease occur annually in Germany alone, with about one in 10 of these cases being fatal.

Significant legionella concentrations have also been detected in some cases in the water vapor from the cooling towers of power plants or industrial facilities.

APW masters and generates cavitation in a controlled process (see APW The Inventors). The implosion of the cavitation bubbles releases large amounts of energy (5,000 °C / 1,000 bar) in a very small space (micrometer) in proportion.

The released kinetic energy acts directly on the cell walls of bacteria and viruses and destroys them.

The implosion of the cavitation bubbles generates shock waves that detach and pulverize the biofilm (breeding ground for germs) that has attached itself to the water pipes.

APW technology uses purely physical processes - without the use of chemicals - to completely and permanently disinfect water circuits and prevent the reformation of germs.