A thought occurs... Would a UV unit cure this? As I understand it, the UV will destroy the ability of the spore to 'grow'. I could be waaaay off beam here, but thought I would mention it anyway
If hindsight were foresight, we'd all be millionaires!
You can get this if your hot water isn't hot enough. I read somewhere it should be minimum 60 Celsius to stop algae growth... Is the tank thermostat still working?