Legionnaires' disease
Legionnaires’ disease is a lung infection you can catch by inhaling droplets of water from things like air conditioning or hot tubs, showers, taps and toilets.
It’s usually caught in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply. It’s very rare to catch it at home.
We are responsible for the water systems in your home and we have a legal duty to make sure that risk of exposure to legionella is properly assessed and controlled. We carry out risk assessments to prevent or control the risk, and we take appropriate action or make repairs where needed.
Keeping your home safe from bacteria
- 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.
Water hygiene policy - pdf - 261 Kb