Water hygiene
In the event of a fire, if it is safe to do so, get everyone together and escape through your nearest fire exit.
Water
Our properties have water systems that are installed and maintained to the highest standards.
If you haven’t been home for a while because you’ve been on holiday or had a hospital stay, there's a possibility that the water quality could be impacted by the natural growth of bacteria in the water supply system.
Legionella and Legionnaire’s Disease
Legionella bacteria naturally exists in water. There’s a low probability, but it’s possible for Legionella bacteria to grow in stagnant or stored water in your property.
Legionnaires' disease is a lung infection you can get from inhaling droplets of water from things like air conditioning or hot tubs. It's uncommon, but it can be very serious.
Visit the NHS website to find out more about symptoms and treatment.
Reducing the risk of Legionella
To prevent the growth of Legionella bacteria, keep your hot water thermostat set to at least 60 degrees.
Make sure you regularly clean shower heads and cups to help kill off any bacteria.
You can avoid water stagnation by keeping your water moving. If your taps and showers haven’t been used recently, run them for around two minutes. If you haven’t been in your property in over a week, flush your toilet.
How does One Manchester try and prevent Legionella?
One Manchester undertake annual inspections on shared water tanks that supply communal areas and flats. These inspections are carried out by one of our partners, who also undertake cleaning of these tanks once a year, or more regularly if required.
It’s important to make sure if you have water supplied by a communal tank, all the outlets (taps/ showers/ toilets) are used at least once a week. This will minimise the risk of legionella growing.
What can you do in your home?
If you go on holiday or are away from your home for more than 7 days, make sure you run all your taps for at least five minutes to refresh the water in the system, even if you aren’t on a communal system.
Concerned about the water hygiene in your property?
Contact us by filling in our online form, or in case of an emergency, call us on 0330 355 1000.