Specialist Water Hygiene Support for Education Premises

Schools, colleges and universities can present particular challenges for Legionella management.

Educational buildings often contain a mixture of classrooms, teaching blocks, sports facilities, kitchens, laboratories, offices and welfare areas. Many also experience significant changes in water use during weekends, school holidays and other periods of reduced occupancy.

Without suitable management, these changes in use can create conditions where water stagnation becomes a concern.

Source Water Compliance provides independent Legionella risk assessments and water hygiene consultancy for schools, colleges, universities and other education premises.

We help estates teams, facilities managers, responsible persons and education providers understand their water systems and establish practical, proportionate control measures.

Request an Education Legionella Risk Assessment

Why Education Premises Need Careful Water Management

One of the biggest water hygiene challenges within education is changing occupancy.

During term time, many outlets may be used frequently. During holidays, however, entire teaching blocks, washrooms, showers or other areas may receive little or no water use for several weeks.

This can increase the potential for stagnation within sections of the system.

Typical education premises may contain:

Cold water storage tanks
Calorifiers and central hot water systems
Hot water circulation systems
Classroom wash hand basins
Student and staff toilets
Sports changing rooms
Showers
Kitchens and catering facilities
Science laboratories
Design and technology areas
Staff rooms
Medical or first-aid rooms
Nursery facilities
Boarding accommodation
External taps
Thermostatic mixing valves
Point-of-use water heaters
Expansion vessels
Water softeners
Low-use and seasonal outlets

A suitable assessment therefore needs to consider not only the equipment present, but how different parts of the site are used throughout the academic year.

Education Legionella Risk Assessments

Our assessments involve a detailed inspection of the hot and cold water systems together with a review of the existing arrangements for managing Legionella risk.

Depending on the premises, this may include:

Incoming Water Supplies

Identification of incoming mains supplies and how water is stored and distributed across the site.

Cold Water Storage

Inspection of cold water storage tanks including condition, temperatures, turnover, configuration and associated distribution pipework.

Hot Water Systems

Assessment of calorifiers, hot water generators, circulating systems and point-of-use water heaters.

Showers and Sports Facilities

Review of shower facilities within sports halls, changing rooms, boarding accommodation and other areas where aerosols may be generated.

Low-Use Outlets

Identification of outlets and areas that may experience poor water turnover.

Particular consideration may be given to:

Spare classrooms
Unused toilet blocks
Little-used showers
Vacant buildings
Temporary teaching areas
Remote sections of the site
Seasonal facilities
Areas awaiting refurbishment

Water Temperatures

Representative temperature measurements can be taken throughout the system to assess the effectiveness of existing temperature control arrangements.

Where temperature is used as the principal control measure, HSG274 Part 2 provides technical guidance for hot and cold water systems as part of the wider Legionella control framework.

System Configuration

The assessment can identify conditions that may increase risk, including:

Dead legs
Dead ends
Redundant pipework
Poor hot water circulation
Excessive pipe runs
Heat gain into cold water
Low water turnover
Inappropriate pipework alterations

Water Hygiene Management

Available documentation can also be reviewed, including:

Previous Legionella risk assessments
Written Schemes of Control
Temperature monitoring
Flushing records
Tank inspections
Shower cleaning records
TMV servicing
Cleaning and disinfection records
Sampling results
Corrective actions
Roles and responsibilities

HSE guidance requires those responsible for premises to identify and assess sources of Legionella risk, manage and control those risks, monitor precautions and maintain appropriate records.

Managing the Risk During School Holidays

Periods of reduced occupancy are particularly important within education premises.

During summer holidays, half terms, Christmas closures and other shutdown periods, normal water use can reduce significantly.

A classroom basin or shower that is used regularly during term time may suddenly remain unused for several weeks.

A suitable water hygiene programme should therefore consider how water systems are managed before, during and following periods of reduced use.

This may include reviewing:

Holiday flushing arrangements
Little-used outlets
Shower facilities
Closed teaching blocks
Boarding accommodation
Seasonal buildings
Temporary shutdowns
Recommissioning before pupils and staff return

Simply having a flushing programme is not enough — it should reflect the actual water system, frequency of use and findings of the Legionella risk assessment.

Large and Multi-Building Education Sites

Education estates can also be surprisingly complex.

A school or college campus may contain buildings constructed at very different times, each with separate water systems or different methods of generating hot water.

A typical site might include:

Main teaching building → sports centre → sixth-form block → nursery → science building → workshop → catering facility → temporary classrooms

Older buildings may also have been modified repeatedly as rooms change purpose.

Our assessment considers the estate as a complete water system while identifying differences between individual buildings and areas.

Sports Halls, Changing Rooms and Showers

Sports facilities deserve particular consideration because showers can generate aerosols and may experience significant variation in use.

For example, showers may be heavily used during term time but receive very little use during holidays or examination periods.

Assessments can consider:

Shower usage
Water temperatures
Cleaning arrangements
Showerhead condition
Flushing
Hot water circulation
TMVs
Little-used changing areas
Seasonal usage

This helps ensure sports facilities are considered as part of the wider water hygiene strategy rather than treated separately from the rest of the estate.

Special Schools and Higher-Support Education Settings

Some educational establishments support pupils or students with complex physical or medical needs.

In these environments, the risk assessment should take account of the people using the building as well as the water system itself.

Facilities may also differ from conventional schools and can include:

Assisted bathrooms
Specialist hygiene facilities
Therapy areas
Accessible showers
Hydrotherapy or specialist equipment
Residential accommodation
Medical or nursing areas

Where these facilities are present, the scope of assessment should reflect their actual use and the needs of the people potentially exposed.

HSE guidance for education similarly stresses that health and safety management should reflect the real risks and the individual needs of students rather than relying on blanket approaches.

Practical Recommendations — Not Just a Report

Our reports provide clear, prioritised recommendations based on what is identified during the assessment.

These may include:

Improving hot water temperature control
Investigating excessive cold water temperatures
Reviewing holiday flushing arrangements
Improving hot water circulation
Removing redundant pipework
Reviewing little-used showers
Cleaning or maintaining cold water storage tanks
Servicing thermostatic mixing valves
Improving monitoring documentation
Reviewing responsibilities
Updating the Written Scheme of Control
Further investigation or sampling where appropriate

The objective is to provide practical actions that estates and facilities teams can realistically implement.

Working in Accordance With Legionella Guidance

Our education risk assessments take account of applicable guidance including:

HSE Approved Code of Practice L8 – Legionnaires’ disease

HSG274 Part 2 – The control of legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems

HSG274 is intended to assist dutyholders, including employers and those in control of premises, with their legal duties relating to Legionella risk.

Supporting Education Estates After the Assessment

Source Water Compliance can provide ongoing support including:

Legionella Risk Assessments

Detailed assessment of water systems throughout education premises.

Written Schemes of Control

Development or review of site-specific procedures detailing control measures, monitoring, responsibilities and corrective actions.

Water Hygiene Audits

Independent review of existing Legionella management arrangements and contractor performance.

Water System Schematic Drawings

Clear schematic drawings showing the principal water storage, generation and distribution systems.

Water Hygiene Consultancy

Independent assistance following system alterations, refurbishment, unusual findings, sampling results or changes in building occupancy.

Education Premises We Can Support

We can provide water hygiene support for:

Primary schools
Secondary schools
Independent schools
Academies
Special schools
Boarding schools
Further education colleges
Sixth-form colleges
Universities
Student teaching facilities
Nurseries and early-years premises
Training centres
Sports and education campuses
Multi-building education estates
Facilities management companies responsible for education premises

Independent Water Hygiene Consultancy

Source Water Compliance provides independent water hygiene consultancy focused on identifying genuine risk and providing proportionate recommendations.

We understand that schools and education estates have limited maintenance windows and need control measures that can be incorporated into the way the site actually operates.

The aim is to give those responsible for the premises a clear understanding of what needs attention, what should be prioritised and how the risks can be managed effectively.

Arrange an Education Legionella Risk Assessment

If you are responsible for a school, college, university or wider education estate and require a Legionella risk assessment or review of your current water hygiene arrangements, speak to Source Water Compliance.

We can discuss your buildings, water systems and patterns of occupancy to determine the appropriate scope of assessment.