Water safety | Harlow Council

A guide to Legionella including what it is, why your home is low risk, and the simple things you can do to keep it that way.

What is Legionnaires' disease?

Legionnaires' disease is a serious lung infection. It is caused by breathing in tiny droplets of water containing Legionella bacteria — for example, from a
shower or tap.

It is uncommon, and it can usually be treated with antibiotics if it is caught early. You cannot catch it from drinking water, and you cannot catch it from another person.

Read about legionnaires' disease on the NHS website

Symptoms to look out for:

a high temperature, fever or chills
a cough
muscle pain, headache or tiredness
shortness of breath

If you think you or someone in your home may have Legionnaires' disease, contact your GP or NHS 111 straight away.

Why your home is low risk

If your home is a house, bungalow or flat without shared water tanks or shared pipework, your cold water comes directly from the mains. There is no water sitting in storage above your home.

This is the safest setup a domestic water system can have. As long as you use the water normally, there is very little chance of Legionella growing. Harlow Council looks after your boiler and pipework. Your part — simply using your taps and showers — is the most effective protection there is.

The simple rule: Keep hot water hot. Keep cold water cold. Keep water moving.

Legionella bacteria can multiply when water sits unused between 20°C and 45°C, particularly where there is limescale or dirt inside taps and showerheads. Everything in the next section is about stopping those conditions from developing.

Read about Legionella guidance on the Health and Safety Executive website

What you can do

Five simple habits keep the water in your home safe:

Run all taps and showers once a week: Run each hot and cold tap, and your shower, for two minutes once a week. Pay particular attention to any you do not use often.
Flush before use if you've been away: If you have been away for more than a week, run all your taps and your shower for two minutes before using them again.
Clean your showerheads every three months: Unscrew the showerhead and hose. Soak them in descaling solution or hot soapy water. Rinse thoroughly before putting them back.
Do not change your boiler temperature: Your boiler is set to keep hot water safe (around 60°C in the cylinder). Contact us if the water at the tap is
too hot — we can fit a mixing valve.
Tell us if your health changes: If you or someone in your household becomes more vulnerable to infections, let your Housing Officer know. We can provide extra support.

What we do as your landlord

As your landlord, we will:

carry out water risk assessments at properties with shared tanks or shared water systems
inspect and maintain shared water tanks and pipework where they exist
service and maintain thermostatic mixing valves in shared areas
flush all outlets and replace showerheads in empty properties before they are re-let
act on any water safety concern reported to us
make sure our gas contractors service boilers in line with the law

When to contact us

your hot water is not getting properly hot, or your boiler is not working

your water is persistently discoloured and does not clear after flushing for a few minutes

you have any concern about your water supply

your doctor confirms you have Legionnaires' disease

Tell us as well if you have been away from your home for more than 28 days. We can talk you through what to do before you move back in.

If you are at higher risk

Some people are more vulnerable to Legionnaires' disease than others. Risk is higher for:

people aged 45 or over

smokers and heavy drinkers

chronic respiratory conditions

diabetes or chronic kidney disease

people receiving cancer treatment

a weakened immune system

If any of these apply to you or someone in your household, let your Housing Officer know. Your information will only be used to support water safety decisions, and will be held in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.