Water Hygiene

‍Information about water hygiene in your home

We want to support you in keeping your home safe. One way we do this is by sharing simple information about water hygiene and how to reduce any risks.

What is Water Hygiene?

Water hygiene means keeping water safe for everyday use.  Most household water systems will have some bacteria and other organisms which do not cause any problems. However, if the bacteria such as legionella have the right environment to multiply they can become potentially harmful and can cause illness.

About Legionella

Legionella is a type of bacteria that can sometimes be found in water systems, including those in homes.

In some cases, it can cause a form of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease. This can happen when very small droplets of water are breathed in. It is important to know that Legionella does not spread through drinking water and does not pass from person to person, and most people who come into contact with it do not become unwell.

Simple steps you can take

There are small steps you can take to help keep your water system safe:

• Run your taps regularly, ideally once a week
• Keep your hot water set above 50°C

• Let us know if hot water is not working properly, or if cold water runs warm for more than a minute
• Keep shower heads clean and free from limescale
• Tell us about any unused pipework or connections
• If your home has been empty for more than two weeks, run taps for a few minutes before using the water

Support and advice

If you have any concerns about water safety or would like more information, please contact us.  

You can also visit the Health and Safety Executive website for further guidance.

What we do

You can find more information in our Water Hygiene Policy