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News from The Shetlands Bibby Challenge  currently berthed at Scalloway. THE COUNCIL’S environmental health department has confirmed that Legionella bacteria have been found on board the accommodation barge  Bibby Challenge  currently berthed at Scalloway. The barge was towed into Scalloway harbour earlier this month to house men working on a long term maintenance programme at Sullom Voe Terminal. Environmental health manager Maggie Sandison said there was no public health concern as the water system would be flushed with water and bleach before the barge would be occupied. It was discovered when the barge operator, contrary to their own procedures, took a sample before flushing and commissioning the water system. “It is not uncommon to have Legionella in these environments, but you would normally not get a ‘positive’ sample, because you would flush the system before taking a sample,” Mrs Sandison said. “A specialist contractor is here and working with th...

Alegion Water: Services : Water Treatment Services, Quality Analysis and Legionella Management Consultancy  Legionella Risk Assessment Legionella & Bacteri...

Little used Outlets should be flushed & what is and how long is a "dead legs" ?? Most offices, Factories and buildings have a tap or outlet that is little used or redundant pipework This picture is a cleaners sink in a small industrial unit. You don't need to be an expert to see this is a little used outlet. Next door to this locked and un-used sink was the sites showers. So not a great combination This length of un-used water pipe will become a breading ground for bacteria if it is not flushed regularly. You will some times see on your legionella risk assessment a term know as a "dead leg" See diagram below for an example.  Stagnant water favours Legionella growth. To reduce the risk you should remove dead legs/dead ends in pipe-work, flush out infrequently used outlets (including showerheads and taps) at least weekly and clean and de-scale shower heads and hoses at least quarterly.  Technical  Term for a dead leg The term "deadl...

Calorifiers Which one Do You Have and does it need a Yearly Legionella Test ? Copper, Factory Insulated, Vented Hot water cylinder. Normally only Tank fed. This needs a Legionella test every year. It also needs inspecting and draining off at the lowest level (see picture below) regularly. The expansion pipework should not be directed into the loft tank Point Of use water heater It is mains fed. This does not need a Legionella test every as it does not store water This is another type of Point Of Use (POU) water heater this one sits below your sink and can be mains or tank fed. It does store water. The amount of water is very small and does not need a Legionella test every year This is another type of POU water heater. Installed above the sink It does store water but again, the amount of water is very small and does not need a Legionella test every year This is a Combi boiler. This does not store hot water but produces it on demand. It is normally m...

Water Features !!!! I wouldn't stand too close to this when its running The picture above is a clear indication that this fountain , if it was allowed to run, would be a danger to people standing near it. Water features need to be kept clean.  Water Features should be kept empty when not in use.  Water Features should be dosed with cheep and readily available sterilising water tablets. How Much do they Cost You can buy 100 tablets enough to treat 2500 litrs of water (about 100 water features/fountains) for £3:06inc vat What are they and How do I use them Oasis Water Purification tablets are available in two sizes under special Oasis Home branding, both of which provide the CDC recommended dosage of 2ppm. For the purification of water in tanks, & water features, 10ppm available chlorine is generally recommended. However regular tank cleaning and disinfection is essential, guidelines as follows: Always read the product infor...

The Cleaning and chlorination of cold Water tanks  Why ? Almost every building in the UK has a water supply of some kind. We take it for granted that the supply is clean, fresh and suitable for use. Sometimes this is not the case.  Systems that are badly designed, are in a poor state of general repair or are operated at unsuitable temperatures can become a breeding ground for a variety of bacteria. Within the system, dirt, scale and debris can act as a source of nutrients for bacteria. Water Tanks are required to be inspected every 6 and 12 months. The ACoP L8 require this:- From ACoP L8 Visually inspect cold water storage tanks and carry out remedial work where necessary. Check representative taps for temperature as above on a rotational basis You can see it does not say clean tanks its says carry out work where necessary. The picture below show some tanks that did need cleaning These tanks failed the inspection because of missing lids and screen kits, also ...

Legionella Risk Assessments & Stored Water A legionella risk assessment is a document, designed to identify areas, of a water system, that may be attributed to bacterial growth. An assessment will identify every part, of the system. An assessment will also include areas such as: Management responsibilities, including the name of competent person and a description of the system. Any current measures, in place, to control risks, including an analysis of their effectiveness, since the last assessment. New monitoring, inspection and maintenance procedures in accordance with ACOP (L8) : 2007 (including 2010 updates remember these change again in Nov 2013). Survey and analysis of stored Hot & cold water tanks, calorifiers and point of use water heaters A comprehensive schematic drawing of the entire water system. Recommendation for remedial action and the next review dates. What if my building does not have any stored water ? You will still need an assessment ...

The ACoP L8 will be changing later on this year The new regulation may effect you ! You may find the new regs mean, that your planned water system work, this summer, might be out of date or incorrect. My advice is to  :- Continue to monitor and analyse your water systems Postpone or plan for interim monitoring ( inspection rather than assessment) until the details of the new regs. are released. Base your future water system Legionella assessment on the new regulations. Don't waste time and money on water system works, that might not be necessary. Alegion Water Ltd its about Compliance not profit !