Reported Legionnaires’ disease cases may be down, but that headline can be dangerously comforting. We sit down again with water safety specialist Dee Thornton to unpack what the numbers can’t tell you: how under-reporting happens, why mild cases can be missed, and why a hot UK summer can turn “normal” village hall plumbing into a higher-risk legionella environment.
We get specific about legionella control in community buildings, where intermittent use and long pipe runs create stagnation. Dee explains how heat and humidity can speed up bacterial growth, why weekly flushing still matters in winter and summer, and what the temperature rules are trying to achieve: cold below 20°C and hot delivered above 50°C so water doesn’t linger in the danger zone. We also talk about a frustrating modern twist for trustees and duty holders: sometimes the incoming mains water can arrive at 23 to 24°C, so the only immediate defence is turning over water properly, not a half-hearted trickle.
Then we tackle the topic that’s hitting hall budgets hard: hot water cylinder cleaning. Dee breaks down why limescale and sludge build-up matter, what “blowdown” and disinfection involve, why an annual internal clean is often expected, and what a realistic price can look like compared with the eye-watering quotes some halls are seeing. We also explore alternatives like point-of-use heaters under 15 litres, plus practical money-savers such as booking contractors as a local consortium across multiple halls.
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