Flushing of Infrequently Used Water Services

- BY Nemco Utilities Ltd.

(www.nemco-utilities.co.uk)

Weekly flushing of rarely used water services is probably one of

the most time consuming aspects of L8 compliance. The simple

premise being that if we can keep water flowing within pipework

on at least a weekly basis this will prevent the formation of

biofilm and proliferation of bacteria to potentially dangerous

numbers. This has proven to be an extremely effective way of

managing bacterial levels, if not perhaps the most environmentally

friendly of practices.

For more information about the above or any aspect of Legionella Management, please visit our website

www.nemco-utilities.co.uk or call 01284 724 503.

Regular flushing can seem a daunting task, particularly for larger multi building sites, and begs the question would the expectation be that, for any shutdown period or say holidays for schools, to flush every water service every week? Provision is made in the guidance for what is effectively ‘post stagnation flushing’ where it is not practicable or difficult to flush weekly. The recommendation in this instance is to ensure that any stagnant water is purged from the water service or deadleg prior to use i.e. less than a week before the building is back in operation. If the water system is to be out of service for extended or indeterminate amounts of time then consideration should be given to mothballing.



The second important thing to remember is that Legionella are

transmitted in a fine mist or spray, usually referred to as an

aerosol, and thus it is essential that when purging away any

potentially stagnant water that this is done so in a way so as not

to create a spray. After all, the person completing the flushing is

the person at risk. This presents limited problems in terms of taps -

these can simply be run on a moderate flow (more attention

should be given to those with spray inserts) or in the case of toilets

simply flushed.



When tackling showers if these are

the type with a flexi hose then the

head can easily be removed and

the water ran straight to drain, if

these are fixed then the rose should

be taken out and then either some

piping or bagging placed over the

head to prevent any spray. A similar

theory would apply to any service

capable of creating an aerosol e.g.

jet wash, sprinkler system or fire

hose reel.



Once started it is important that the flushing regime is kept up as

a lapse can cause bacteria numbers to dramatically increase

ending up with a worse problem than when you started! It remains

the case that flushing is an effective and simple way to mange

bacteria levels, if an outlet is very rarely used it may be worth

removing altogether and cutting back any remaining pipework to

prevent creation of dead legs.



ADDRESS

Nemco Utilities Ltd

12 Kempson Way

Hillside Business Park

Bury St Edmunds

Suffolk

IP32 7EA

Telephone: 01284 724503

Fax No.: 01284 724826

EMAIL

• [email protected]



• Website: http://www.nemco-utilities.co.uk/



http://www.nemco-utilities.co.uk/




Flushing of Infrequently Used Water Services

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