How to keep the water in your house safe for use

We care about your wellbeing and want to help you keep your home clean and safe so you don’t become unwell. Water can sometimes cause illness and make you sick if it isn’t kept fresh.

Harmful bacteria can build up in your taps or on your shower head for instance. This is known as Legionella bacteria. If you breathe in this bacteria it can make you ill and you may be diagnosed with something called Legionnaires’ disease.

What is Legionnaires’ disease?

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that can affect anybody. It can be very dangerous and potentially cause death. Some people are more at risk than others:

• Smokers and heavy drinkers.
• People over 45.
• If you have lung and heart disease.
• People with diabetes.

Don’t panic, we carry out regular assessments of our properties to double check areas in your home where water may be unclean. We always make these checks before we let out a property as part of our health and safety programme.

What else can I do in my home to keep my water safe from bacteria?

There a few simple steps you can follow to help reduce the risk of bacteria and legionnaires disease in your home:

• If you have taps or showers you don’t use regularly, run them for 5-10 minutes at least once a month to clear the pipes.
• Try to clean the outside of taps and shower heads at least once every three months.
• Ensure there aren’t any places where water can stay still and build up bacteria.