We are going to dismantle a water feature that we were told contained Legionella. The fixture has been dry for almost two months. I am concerned that when we tear the fixture apart, the bacteria will become airborne and be inhaled. Can Legionella survive out of the water for that length of time?
Legionella will not survive on dry surfaces. Although inhalation is popularly believed to be a mode of transmission, it is rarely transmitted through the air. Drinking contaminated water and “aspirating” the Legionella is actually the most common mode of transmission.
In any case, no danger exists from contracting Legionnaires’ disease in the circumstances that you described.