Turning the taps on safely after lockdown

29 April 2021 10:38

NI Water’s top priority is providing safe drinking water to homes and businesses. With the lockdown restrictions on businesses being eased from Friday 30^th April, NI Water would like to remind proprietors of the need to flush pipes as they turn the taps on again, and open their doors to customers.

Following the closure of businesses as a result of Government regulations during the coronavirus pandemic, drinking water systems may have been left stagnant over this period, due to a low turnover of mains water or water in storage. This could have resulted in water in internal plumbing systems warming up, microbiological regrowth or an increased uptake of plumbing metals; thus the risk of potential water quality issues.  

How to minimise this on reopening

NI Water continues to maintain its networks and systems to assure the quality of water entering a building. For building owners, managers and landlords, and for those who operate water or refill fountains in their premises, there are some simple steps that need to be taken to ensure your drinking water systems are providing safe and clean water:-

1. To ensure that the water in the plumbing systems is fresh, run all taps individually for a short time, starting with the tap nearest to where the water enters the building and moving systematically to the most distant outlet. It should be sufficient to run until the water is clear and feels cool to the touch. Building owners should also be mindful of the risks to all non-drinking water systems as well such as heating systems.
2. Where water is supplied from storage, storage cisterns should be emptied and filled with water direct from the incoming supply, before the taps are flushed; flushing should be carried out in a manner which minimises aerosol generation. For example, removing shower heads prior to flushing, to reduce the risks of Legionella transmission. Safety considerations should be made for those flushing including appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); ensure that all appliances are also thoroughly flushed through before use, using manufacturer’s instruction manual.
3. If the property has any internal filters or water softeners, these should be checked to ensure they are working correctly as outlined in the manufacturer’s instruction manual;
4. If plumbers are required to make any changes or repairs to the plumbing system, a list of contacts can be accessed at WaterSafe www.watersafe.org.uk
5. For larger buildings, those with tanks, showers, water heaters and more complex pipework the expectation is likely to be for more extensive flushing followed by cleaning and disinfection. If you have a complex plumbing system you should ensure you have a competent person to oversee this work.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For further information on Drinking Water Regulations for Northern Ireland please visit https://www.niwater.com/vacant-property-advice/

Every day NI Water provides 575 million litres of great tasting, safe drinking water and recycles 340 million litres of used water back to the natural environment.  It costs around £460m each year to deliver water services in Northern Ireland.  Thousands of assets at a value of around £3bn, are operated and maintained to provide these services. This includes over 40,000km of water mains and sewers - one and a half times longer than Northern Ireland’s entire road network and long enough to circle planet earth.

 

NI Water are encouraging customers to sign up to its free text alert service which keeps them updated about anything that may impact on their water supply or any of our other services in the area. Sign up here https://www.niwater.com/register-for-keeping-you-informed/

Information on water supply issues affecting your property are also available 24/7 simply by logging onto http://www.niwater.com/current-service-updates/

ENDS

Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com