Water flushing during the summer

Photo by Carola68: www.pixabay.com
 

Why flushing is crucial

Legionella bacteria thrive in water systems, especially when water remains still and is allowed to stagnate.  By maintaining a regular flushing regime, we keep our water safe and minimize health risks.

Flushing is particularly important during the summer months when building occupancy decreases and temperatures rise.   

What do we need to do?

To prevent stagnation Departments should do weekly flushing of both cold and hot water outlets in less frequently used areas such as:

• Taps
• Shower heads
• Toilets

Campus Experience and Infrastructure (CE&I) and Estates Development (ED) will continue to carry out the flushing of all outlets in communal areas and maintenance tasks within plantrooms, e.g. cold-water storage tank adjustments.

How to flush

Cold Water Flushing:

Cold water pipes are flushed by running fresh cold water through all points of use for at least 2 minutes.   This introduces new water into the system, which helps prevent the build-up of contaminants.

Hot Water Flushing:

The goal is to flush hot water pipes until the water reaches its maximum temperature.  Normally this should be achieved within one minute but again during the flushing process the outlet should be run for at least 2 minutes.

Record keeping

It is vital that you keep records of any flushing that takes place, to ensure it is known when each outlet was last flushed and when the next flush is due. 
The information to be recorded is:

• Location of water outlet (e.g. room G12, lab 203)
• Type of water outlet (e.g. sink tap, shower head, toilet)
• Date and time
• Name of person(s) who carried out the flushing

Where can I get further information?

• Contact your lead safety adviser or safety@ucl.ac.uk for advice.
• Water Hygiene Management Plan

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