AE · Expiry & renewal tracking
Keep every building's Legionella sampling in Dubai on schedule
Dubai Municipality guideline GU44 requires water in all built environments to be sampled at least every three months for Legionella and aerobic bacteria at the minimum points in Table 1, analysed by an EIAC-accredited laboratory (sections 13-1 and 13-2). The premises must name a trained Legionella control person.
Dubai Municipality's technical guideline GU44 on Legionella control applies to water used in all built environments, including hotels, educational institutes, commercial, governmental and residential buildings and labour accommodation. It states that every violator is legally accountable under Local Order No. 11 of 2003 on public health and community safety.
Under GU44, water must be sampled and tested for both general (aerobic) bacteria and Legionella. Sampling points are chosen from the risk assessment of all water systems in the building. Table 1 sets the minimum number of samples each quarter (every three months at least): for example one sample from the main water tank, one from each other tank over 1,000 litres, one from each central water heater, at least two each from hot taps, cold taps and showers, one from each cooling tower make-up tank and collection basin, and one from each fountain basin, spa or jacuzzi.
Table 2 gives the recommended frequency: Legionella quarterly for all water systems, including cooling water; aerobic count quarterly, but monthly for cooling water. Legionella testing follows ISO 11731, sampling follows BS 7592, and the analysis must be done by a laboratory accredited by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC). The results must be available for inspection by Dubai Municipality staff.
At a glance
| Guideline | Dubai Municipality GU44, Legionella control in water systems (version 6, 19 August 2025) |
|---|---|
| Minimum sampling | Every three months at least, at the points in Table 1 |
| Legionella test | Quarterly, all water systems |
| Aerobic count | Quarterly; monthly for cooling water |
| Laboratory | Accredited by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) |
| Legionella limit | Not more than 1,000 cfu per litre |
| Risk assessment | At least once a year |
Scope: Emirate of Dubai. If a test of a cooling or warm water system shows 1,000 or more Legionella colony forming units per litre, the owner must send the report to Dubai Municipality's health and safety department within 24 hours of receiving it.
Who is responsible?
The premises. GU44 requires a named person responsible for Legionella control, trained in Legionella control, with the training and the person's name documented, and a periodic risk assessment of the water systems at least once a year.
Keep the results ready for inspection
GU44 requires the results of system testing and microbiological water tests, the sampling point layout and the risk assessment to be available for inspection by Dubai Municipality staff. Required reports are submitted online through Dubai Municipality's Building Health and Safety Compliance Test Reports e-service. If results exceed the limits, the owner, manager or person in charge should start decontamination immediately.
Tracking it with ExpirySuite
- Add each building or water system and record the date the next sampling round is due, three months after the last one.
- Add a separate monthly item for the aerobic count on cooling water systems.
- Reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before the due date and on the due date itself.
- Assign a responsible person (for example your facility manager or the named Legionella control person) so the right person gets the reminder.
- If a date passes, managers get overdue reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.
- Ask the laboratory to upload the test report through a secure upload link, valid for 14 days; no account is needed.
- Emails arrive in each recipient's language, Arabic included.
Frequently asked questions
- How often must water be sampled for Legionella in Dubai?
- At least every three months, at the minimum sampling points in Table 1 of Dubai Municipality guideline GU44 (section 13-1).
- Is cooling water tested more often?
- Yes for the aerobic count, which is recommended monthly for cooling water. Legionella itself is tested quarterly (GU44, Table 2).
- Which laboratory can test the samples?
- A laboratory accredited by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) to perform the required testing (GU44, section 13-2).
- What if a sample shows high Legionella?
- For cooling and warm water systems, a result of 1,000 or more cfu per litre must be reported to Dubai Municipality within 24 hours of receiving it, and decontamination should start immediately (GU44, section 19).
Sources
Last checked: Sep 30, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.
Made for legionella sampling (Dubai Municipality) (UAE)
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Reminders on time
Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each legionella sampling (Dubai Municipality) (UAE) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.
Assign an owner
Give each legionella sampling (Dubai Municipality) (UAE) an owner and let employees update their own via a secure link — no login needed.