Reopening your premises? If so, let’s get your water supply back up and running safely

04 June 2020 Reading time: 2 mins

As restrictions start to ease and more people are able to return to work, it’s important to ensure that your water supply is safe. This is particularly important for businesses who have drinking water on site, as stagnant water in pipes can risk the spread of diseases such as Legionella.

Here are three simple steps to follow to make sure your water is clean and safe:

  1. Run your taps
    To ensure that the water in the pipes is fresh, run all taps individually. Start with the tap nearest to where your mains water supply enters the building and then systematically work your way back from there. Run the taps until the water is clear and feels cool to the touch. Where water is supplied from tanks these should be emptied and filled with water directly from the mains before running your taps.
  2. Flush toilets and clean showers
    Ensure that all toilets and urinals are flushed twice before use. Remove shower heads and clean where possible. Then run the shower for around 10 minutes on full power to flush out any unsanitary water.
  3. Empty and deep clean kettles and coffee machines
    Make sure all appliances are emptied and cleaned thoroughly before employees use them. If you’re not sure whether or not appliances have been cleaned properly, we would recommend removing them until you are confident they are safe to use.

Please make sure you’re following all the relevant government guidelines to ensure that you and your staff return to a safe working environment.

We’re here to help, so if you have any concerns about your water supply please do get in touch.

You can find out more information about what we have been doing to help our customers during the COVID-19 pandemic by reading our Covid-19 FAQs.

For further guidance on maintaining drinking water quality and protection against Legionella please read this guide from Water UK.