Water Hygiene – checks during the holiday season

If you're going to be away from your home for longer than a week over the summer period, there are some simple checks you can make to ensure your water supply remains safe.

While you're away, get someone to turn all your taps and showers on and run for three minutes.  If you can't do this, you can also turn all hot taps and showers on at maximum temperature and all cold taps on and run for five minutes when you return.

Water butts 

If your water butt has slimy surfaces inside or the water is discoloured, it's likely bacteria is forming which can cause tummy bugs and some illness. Use the water butt weekly and if in doubt empty if and wait for it to fill up again. 

Outside taps

Water needs to move through pipework and be kept at the correct temperatures to stop bacteria such as legionella forming, so try to turn the taps on once a week. Outside taps create a risk because they often have hosepipes connected to them where the spray formation is created. This spray can be uncontrolled and could enter the lungs which is how Legionellosis is contracted.