This page has important information about water safety and hygiene in your home. It explains how we keep our customers safe and the steps you can take to protect your home and loved ones.
Water safety in your home
We are committed to keeping water safe and free from harmful bacteria such as legionella, which can cause legionella-related illnesses. We follow approved codes of practice to make sure shared water systems are properly maintained, tested and treated. We also provide advice to customers about water safety in their homes.
Our responsibilities
We carry out regular maintenance and water risk assessments to all properties where there is a shared water system (including stored water) to prevent bacterial growth in the water.
This includes:
- Flushing unused outlets in communal areas weekly to keep water moving and reduce bacteria risk
- Inspecting communal water systems monthly to ensure they are working correctly and safely
- Testing water in communal systems for bacteria every three months
- Inspecting water tanks for cleanliness, condition and correct operation every six months
- Servicing thermostatic mixing valves once a year to make sure water is stored hot, but delivered at a safe temperature
- Treating systems with specialist equipment each month to prevent bacteria
- Completing legionella risk assessments every two years
- Carrying out a chemical flush between tenancies on voids that are connected to a shared water system.
How you can help keep your water safe
Legionella is a type of bacteria that lives in water, such as rivers and ponds. It’s most often found in stagnant water, so it’s not usually a risk in your home. However, if you go away on holiday or stay away from home for a while, legionella bacteria can sometimes grow in your water system. This is because the water doesn’t move through the system like usual when you’re not flushing the toilet or running taps regularly.
Not everyone who comes into contact with legionella becomes ill, but the bacteria can cause legionella-associated illness.
How to reduce the risk of legionella in your home
Here are some simple steps to reduce risks in your home and when gardening:
- Keep your hot water cylinder thermostat set at 60°C. Legionella bacteria thrive at temperatures between 20°C and 45°C, so setting your thermostat to 60°C will kill any bacteria.
- Descale your taps and showerheads every three months, or sooner if you spot a build-up of limescale, mould or algae
- If you have a water tank, make sure that the lid fits tightly to stop the water from getting contaminated and check any insulation around your tank is fitted correctly
- Always disconnect and drain hosepipes after use and store out of sunlight to prevent bacterial growth. Run your garden hose into a drain or unused area of your garden for one minute before use.
- Avoid creating any spray from standing water as this can be inhaled into the lungs. Use a watering can for taking water from water butts to minimise spray and ensure the water butt is kept clean.
- You should avoid storing peat-free or organic compost in a greenhouse or place where it is warm as this can encourage a specific type of legionella bacteria. You can also protect yourself further by opening compost bags away from your face and wearing gloves. However, legionella risk from compost is very low in the UK.
- Legionella risks are increased if you’ve been away from your home for more than a week, or if you have taps, showers or toilets that you don’t use regularly. In this situation, you should:
- Flush your toilets and run all taps and showers continuously for about two minutes to flush out any bacteria. Keep the lid down when you flush the toilet and run the taps slowly for the first few seconds to avoid being sprayed by any bacteria in the water.
Contact us
If you notice anything unusual with the water system in your home or you have any queries or concerns, please let us know. For example, if there’s rust flowing from your taps or if your hot water is not heating properly.
If you’re diagnosed with a legionella-related illness, please contact us immediately so we can check the water system at your home.
Our customer support team can be contacted on 01225 715 715 or by emailing info@selwoodhousing.com.
