Question 1

What does a commercial water treatment company actually do?

Accepted Answer

Clear Flow Water delivers commercial water treatment and Legionella compliance across Kent, South East London and Essex, including risk assessments, demineralised water treatment, hygiene management, tank refurbishment, pre-commission cleaning, RPZ valve services, chemical cleaning and consultancy.

Question 2

How often is a Legionella risk assessment legally required?

Accepted Answer

No fixed interval, but ACOP L8 and HSG274 require regular reviews, typically at least every two years. A review is needed sooner after a change to the water system, a change of use, or if a case is identified.

Question 3

Could rising energy bills be caused by our water?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Scale and mineral fouling on heat exchangers and HIUs reduces heat transfer efficiency, forcing systems to run longer or hotter, leading to higher bills, more callouts and shorter equipment life.

Question 4

Who is responsible for Legionella control, us or our landlord?

Accepted Answer

Under ACOP L8, responsibility sits with the duty holder — whoever controls the premises and water systems. In a leased building this can be the landlord, tenant, or split between them per the lease.

Question 5

We've never had a Legionella risk assessment. Are we in breach?

Accepted Answer

Any building with a water system capable of creating and dispersing droplets should already have an assessment under ACOP L8, with no grace period based on how long it's operated without one.

Question 6

What triggers a Legionella outbreak?

Accepted Answer

Legionella grows in water between roughly 20-45°C, especially in stagnant water, sediment or biofilm, and spreads when contaminated water is aerosolised and inhaled via showers, taps or cooling towers.

Question 7

Our building is small. Do we still need an assessment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Even small, low-risk systems need an assessment to confirm and document that classification, giving a defensible position if compliance is questioned.

Question 8

What happens if we're found non-compliant?

Accepted Answer

The HSE can issue improvement or prohibition notices, or pursue prosecution, with outcomes ranging from fines to custodial sentences in severe cases. A current, documented risk assessment is key evidence of reasonable steps taken.

Question 9

How often does our risk assessment need reviewing?

Accepted Answer

Reviews are risk-based rather than fixed, triggered by system changes, altered building use, occupancy changes, a confirmed case, or poor monitoring results. Many organisations use two years as a practical benchmark.

Question 10

Does recent building work affect our existing assessment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Changes to the water system or building use can invalidate a previous assessment's assumptions, so new pipework or a change of use warrants a fresh review.

Question 11

Is a partially empty building a Legionella risk?

Accepted Answer

It can be. Unused water sitting in pipework creates the stagnation Legionella needs to grow, making extended vacancy a recognised trigger for reviewing risk assessments.

Question 12

Why do our pump seals keep failing despite corrosion protection?

Accepted Answer

Inhibitors protect against oxidation but can't remove calcium or magnesium hardness, which keeps circulating and depositing as scale on pump seals over time.

Question 13

Are fouling HIUs a design fault or water quality issue?

Accepted Answer

Usually a water quality issue. HIUs run tight tolerances, so untreated make-up water gradually fouls internal surfaces and reduces heat transfer, rather than it being a unit fault.

Question 14

What happens during a demineralised balanced flush?

Accepted Answer

Demineralised water is introduced continuously while system water is displaced, keeping the system operational. This reduces conductivity and hardness, typically to under 100 µS/cm and 20 ppm.

Question 15

How do we know if our water quality has drifted since last treatment?

Accepted Answer

Regular on-site analysis of conductivity, hardness, TDS, iron, copper and inhibitor residual catches drift early through trend reporting, before it becomes a fouling or corrosion problem.

Question 16

Can this treatment help an existing system with problems?

Accepted Answer

Yes. New pipework gets pre-commission cleaning and flushing per BG29 guidance; existing systems with scale-related symptoms can generally have the same process applied without replacing major components.

Question 17

How is a demineralised system protected from corrosion?

Accepted Answer

Once the flush reaches target water quality, the system is dosed with a molybdate corrosion inhibitor and, where needed, a biocide, then tested against target conductivity, pH and inhibitor parameters.

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