Water hygiene in Southwark
Southwark in Greater London has a typical London mix of dense mix of Victorian conversions, purpose-built blocks, offices, hotels, schools and NHS sites. Each of these brings its own water hygiene challenges, and we tailor every assessment to the building in front of us.
Hard London water drives limescale build-up on shower heads, TMVs and calorifiers, which gives legionella bacteria a protected surface to colonise. Descaling frequency often needs to be higher here than the national baseline.
Why local water matters
Water in Southwark is generally hard to very hard. Hard water deposits limescale on shower heads, taps, TMVs and inside calorifiers. Scale gives legionella bacteria a protected surface to grow on and can stop thermostatic valves working properly, so descaling and servicing intervals should reflect it.
The rules that apply in Southwark
Legionella and water hygiene. In England, legionella duties come from the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and COSHH 2002, with HSE's ACoP L8 and HSG274 setting the standard. Enforcement is by HSE or the local authority, depending on the premises.
Local enforcement. In Southwark, legionella law is enforced by Southwark Council's environmental health team for offices, shops, hotels, restaurants and leisure premises, and by HSE for factories, warehouses, hospitals, schools and council-run premises.
Who we help in Southwark
- Private landlords, letting agents and HMO operators
- Freeholders and managing agents of blocks of flats
- Offices, shops and commercial landlords
- Schools, colleges and student accommodation
- Care homes, GP surgeries and dental practices
- Hotels, guest houses and holiday lets
- Factories, warehouses and industrial estates