Apartment blocks and multi-tenant buildings often share one water system. If that system lets legionella grow, every unit it serves is affected. For whoever manages the building, controlling that risk starts with a legionella risk assessment of the shared system.
Where the risk comes from
- Shared storage tanks in attics or plant rooms that are rarely inspected.
- Vacant units where water sits in the pipes for weeks.
- Long pipe runs where hot water cools and cold water warms.
- Communal facilities such as gym showers, bin-store taps and garden hoses.
- Old alterations that left dead legs behind.
Legionella grows best in water between 20°C and 45°C. Any part of a system that holds water in that range, and does not get used, is a place it can multiply.
Who should act
Health and safety law applies if you employ staff or control a place of work, which covers many managed buildings with caretakers, cleaners, offices or shops. Beyond that, whoever controls a shared water system is the only party in a position to manage it. Individual residents cannot see or reach the tank, plant room or common pipework.
Practical steps for property managers
- Commission a legionella risk assessment of the shared system and common areas.
- Inspect storage tanks, and clean and disinfect them when needed.
- Keep a list of vacant units and flush their outlets regularly.
- Check hot and cold temperatures at agreed points and record them.
- Review the assessment at least once a year, as national guidelines recommend, and after any change to the system.
When to bring in sampling
Sampling is worth adding where temperatures are hard to control, where the building houses older or vulnerable residents, or after a tank has been cleaned and you want to confirm the result.
Safer Solutions works with property managers in Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Galway. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.