Water Quality

More information about Legionella risks on coronavirus are on the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.

The development of WSPs for new buildings, as well as modifications and renovations to existing water systems can also be applied retrospectively to control risks to health from all types of water use.

Irrespective of when they are developed, WSPs should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they are current and fit for purpose, especially if there’s been significant changes to the system or its management.

It’s often thought water systems in buildings are safe when connected to public supplies – but this overlooks the potential for contamination (both chemical and microbial) and the growth of waterborne opportunistic pathogens within building water systems. BS 8680:2020 sets out guidance and recommendations for developing a Water Safety Plan (WSP) for building water systems.

An infographic on how to develop a Water Safety Plan (WSP) based on BS 8680: 2020 is now available. This infographic is free to download. Please click here and fill out a form.

This brand new British Standard gives recommendations and guidance on the development of a Water Safety Plan (WSP). The standard is intended to be used as a code of practice to demonstrate current good practice and compliance.

BS 8680:2020 also covers how to conduct a risk assessment to ensure the safety of employees and the public. It cross-references BS 8580 on risk assessments for Legionella. 

The standard applies to all types of premises and undertakings with water systems that can pose a risk to those exposed, either from the water itself or aerosols derived from it, and where a WSP is particularly recommended within existing national guidance, such as in healthcare.

It applies to:

-      WSP development for new buildings

-      Modifications and renovations to existing water systems

-      Retrospective applications to control risks to health from all types of water use

The British Standard on conducting Legionella risk assessments has been updated in line with changes to the HSE’s Code of Practice. 

BS 8580-1:2019 Water quality. Risk assessments for Legionella control. Code of practice applies to risk assessments undertaken on premises, plant and systems and where control measures may have been implemented.

This revision now aligns the standard with HSE ACoP L8 and its associated guidance documents.

Legionella risk assessment is a legal requirement, making this standard invaluable to anyone responsible for the safe management of water systems, especially within hospitals, the wider healthcare industry, leisure centres and schools.

In 2014, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) updated its Approved Code of Practice and guidance for controlling Legionella bacteria in water systems, known as ACoP L8. It separated ACoP L8 from its technical guidance, this was further developed by industry groups into three distinct parts:

• HSG 274 Part 1 is concerned with cooling towers
• HSG 274 Part 2 is concerned with hot and cold water services
• HSG 274 Part 3 is concerned with “other” systems

The revised standard has been updated to bring it in line with the revised HSE documents and guidance. BS 8580 is referenced in, and is an important supplement to, the HSE documents. This revision of the original British Standard published in 2010, takes into account:

• the separation of the ACoP L8 and HSG documentation
• the shift from a single description of the risk assessment process and outputs, to the recommendations for the frequency of inspection in each of the individual industry groups (HSG 274 Parts 1, 2 and 3)
• new information published in 2017 as HSG 282 – control of Legionella and other infectious agents in spa pools.