Water hygiene in London
From mansion blocks in Kensington to new-build towers in Stratford and serviced offices in the City, London has some of the most varied water systems in the country. Tall residential buildings often rely on booster pumps, break tanks and long risers, so keeping cold water below 20°C and hot water circulating properly on upper floors takes careful design and monitoring.
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 London 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 London
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 London, legionella law is enforced by the London borough councils and the City of London Corporation'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 London
- 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