A Legionella risk assessment looks at how water is stored and used in your building, and how likely it is that Legionella bacteria could grow and spread. We then write it all up, so you have a clear record and a list of what to do next.
We carry out assessments for homes, HMOs, holiday lets, offices, shops, care homes and other workplaces across Hampshire. Every visit is done by a plumber who knows how water systems are put together, so the advice you get is practical.
Why Legionella matters
Legionella bacteria cause Legionnaires’ disease, a serious type of pneumonia. People catch it by breathing in tiny water droplets, for instance from a shower. Older people, smokers and anyone with a weak immune system are most at risk.
The bacteria grow best between 20°C and 45°C. They also like still water, scale and sludge. That’s why stored water, little-used outlets and lukewarm hot water are the things we look at most closely.
What a Legionella risk assessment covers
First, we walk through the whole system with you or your agent. Then we check each part in turn:
- The boiler, hot water cylinder and stored water temperatures
- Cold water storage tanks in lofts or plant rooms, including lids, screens and overflows
- Every tap, shower, bath and outlet, with hot and cold temperature readings
- Pipework, including dead legs left behind after past alterations
- Showers and outlets that are rarely used
- Thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs), where fitted
- Who uses the building, and whether anyone is more at risk
As a guide, stored hot water should reach 60°C. In addition, hot taps should reach 50°C within a minute and cold taps should drop below 20°C within two minutes. We record every reading, so you can see exactly where things stand.
What you get in your report
Your report arrives within 3 working days. It is written for your building, not copied from a template. It includes:
Outlet register
A list of every outlet we checked, with its location and readings.
Risk rating
An overall rating for the building, so you know where you stand.
Action plan
Each finding is ranked by priority, together with a clear fix.
Drawings on request
For HMOs and commercial sites, we can add a schematic of the system.
If the report shows work is needed, we can also give you a fixed price to do it. See our remedial works page for the jobs we carry out.
Homes, HMOs and businesses
Most single lets with a combi boiler are low risk, so the assessment is short and simple. On the other hand, HMOs often have loft tanks, extra bathrooms and more people. As a result, they need a more detailed look. Our landlords page explains this in more detail.
Businesses have the same duty as landlords. Offices with showers, gyms, salons, cafes and hotels all need an assessment. Care homes and healthcare settings need even more care, so there we also work to HTM 04-01.
Water sampling. An assessment doesn’t always need lab testing. However, for higher-risk sites we can take samples for a UKAS-accredited lab. Read more about Legionella testing.
How much does it cost?
Homes and single lets
£59.99 + VAT
No call-out fee, no extras.
HMOs and commercial
Fixed quote
Agreed with you before we visit.
Areas we cover
We travel in from Poole to towns across south and west Hampshire. Take a look at our pages for Southampton, Winchester, Eastleigh, Romsey, Fareham and the New Forest.
Questions
Do tenants need to be home?
No. As long as we can get in, tenants don’t need to be there. However, we need to reach every tap and shower, the boiler or cylinder, and any loft tank. If you have a letting agent, we can arrange access through them.
What happens if you find a problem?
We note it in your action plan, along with how urgent it is. If something is serious, such as a dirty open tank, we will tell you on the day. Then we can quote a fixed price to fix it, often on a single return visit.
Is a combi boiler property still at risk?
Usually the risk is low, because a combi heats water as you use it and there is no stored hot water. Even so, little-used showers and dead legs can still hold water. So you still need an assessment to show you have checked.
Which guidance do you follow?
We follow the HSE Approved Code of Practice L8 and its technical guidance, HSG274. For healthcare premises, such as care homes and clinics, we also follow HTM 04-01. Your report sets out the findings in line with this guidance.