subject: Prevention of Water Borne Diseases: Commercial Water Management [print this page] Water Management And Water Services Treatment
Any business in the United Kingdom that operates its own water system is required to keep that water system free of disease causing organisms by law. This means that businesses will have to monitor the water systems and test for bacteria and other contaminants.
In particular businesses have an obligation to take steps to avoid contamination from the Legionella bacterium which can cause Legionnaire's disease. The Health and Safety Executive has a specific code that requires businesses with water systems to take steps to control Legionella. Any organization that operates or owns a water system is responsible for complying with these codes.
A commercial water system that uses an evaporative cooler or a cooling tower, hot and cold water systems and any water system that sprays water or heats water will probably have to be checked for Legionella. Most of these water systems will have to be tested for bacteria every two years or whenever major repair or refurbishment work is done to the water system.
Testing and Inspection
The testing of these water systems is not done by the government. Instead it will have to be done by qualified commercial water services firms hired by the system owner.
Any business that operates a commercial water system will probably have to have it tested and checked by a commercial water services company to stay in compliance with the law. Firms that cannot produce documentation that such testing has taken place can be fined by environmental health officers during inspections. The EHO can also shut down the water system until the inspection is done.
If the water system is not in compliance with the law, the company will have to hire a Commercial Water Services & Water Treatment company put it into compliance. This work can involve repairs, refurbishment or the use of chemicals to kill any germs in the water. If the system is not placed in compliance it can be shut down and its owner can face fines and criminal prosecution.
Potential Criminal Prosecution
The government has prosecuted companies caught operating water systems that were not in compliance with these laws. On July 19, 2010, the Cromer Magistrates Court fined the owners of a Hotel & Golf Club in West Runton, Norfolk, over 20,000 for failing to properly maintain a water system. Prosecutors cited the dangers from Legionella as a reason for this action.
Had the hotel employed a qualified water services company it could have avoided this fine, the associated legal costs and the accompanying bad publicity. No business should risk fines, bad publicity and high legal costs by not employing a proper water services company.
Such prosecutions could become quite common in the future because environmental health officers are cracking down on companies that don't properly maintain water systems. If companies don't comply with the laws concerning water systems EHOs will refer violators to prosecutors.
Any company that operates a water system will have to employ a water services company to make sure it is complying with these regulations. Companies that don't use water services companies could face some very high legal bills.
Prevention of Water Borne Diseases: Commercial Water Management
