Is your water old? Well yes if your business has been closed!

Stagnant ‘old’ water sitting in a pipes in a building that has been closed can be dangerous to our health. Disinfectant residual disappears over time and lack of regular flow and can lead to increased corrosion. So your pipes and equipment may be left with slimy biofilm and accumulation in heavy metals. Some these biofilms contain harmful bacteria such as Legionella , the culprit for Legionnaires disease.

Yet another respiratory disease we may need to consider on foot of lock down with many businesses across the country being forced to close.
On top of this symptoms for Legionnaires disease are quite similar to those of COVID-19.

But it’s not all bad news. Unlike COVID-19, Legionnaires’ does not spread from person to person but through contaminated airborne water droplets from sources for example showerheads, taps and air-conditioning systems.  With a bit of knowledge and planning your water will be safe to use.

Regular flushing is key, preferably throughout the building closure but flushing alone may not be enough. It all depends on building and complexity of water systems. Equipment may need inspection and in some cases shock disinfection and testing for heavy metals and harmful microorganisms. For this you may need expert advice.

The key message is keep your water moving and keep your temperatures appropriate.

Water is a key component in a food business and in many cases overlooked by food businesses. Water management should be considered as part of your food safety management system.

The EHAI and a number of our trainers continue to run our food safety and HACCP courses via video link or zoom during the Covid – 19 Pandemic. For full details on the training process and how to book an EHAI training course please view the following link https://ehai.ie/blog/cov/ or contact us at 01 276 1211