One thing we keep an eye on is a bacteria called legionella. It can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a nasty lung infection that can be serious. It’s very rare, but it can crop up, especially if water systems aren’t used much or haven’t been looked after properly. You’ll usually hear about legionella in big buildings with massive water systems, but it can show up at home too, in taps, showers, or storage tanks, especially if water’s not been run for a while.
There are a few simple things you can do that make a big difference: Got a shower you don’t use much? Put it on once a week and let it run for a few minutes with the shower head pointing down. Been away more than a couple of weeks? Run all your taps and showers through before you use them. If your hot or cold water feels different to usual, way hotter, colder, or just a bit off, let us know by filling out our health and safety form. We’ll come and check it out.
Before you move into your home, we give the water system a good check to make sure legionella isn’t there. In flats and homes with shared water systems, we carry out regular checks, cleaning, and risk assessments to keep everything safe.
