In recent times closure of premises enforced by government restrictions in the fight against Covid-19 have been widespread across the United Kingdom and the rest of the world.
The necessity of this act was a responsible approach to reducing the spread of Covid-19 and the strategy has proved to be a highly effective control measure for protecting the population. Whilst this measure had an impact on protecting our healthcare system, the resulting underuse of buildings and their water systems has given rise to a different risk; that of waterborne microbial colonisation and contamination.
The enforced shut down and stagnation of water systems will have inadvertently created ideal growing conditions for a range of harmful bacteria. Without an effective water safety plan, waterborne bacteria and pathogens present a significant risk as we begin to see buildings reopen due to the governments relaxing the restrictions. Many water safety plans do not take into consideration buildings having long periods of shutdown as they were never designed for this eventuality.
It is reasonable to assume that routine maintenance and management of water systems may also have suffered as the pandemic forced our focus and our priorities elsewhere. Water Stagnation and a lack of appropriate temperature control are key factors that can help to promote the growth and build-up of biofilm within water systems. The biofilm which can be found across all areas of the hot and cold-water system, and throughout the building as a whole, support the growth and proliferation of water pathogens including, amongst others, Pseudomonas spp. and Legionella spp.
To ensure continuity of business services and comprehensive information on the condition of the building’s water systems, 20/30 Labs can provide a range of support services designed to help the building owner, responsible person, or third party contracted parties mitigate the risk and safely reopen and run facilities with confidence and assurance.
With over 20,000 sq/ft of purpose-built laboratories processing, analysing, and delivering timely turnaround of results, 20/30 Labs are one of the UK’s leading microbiological consultancies, specialising in the microbial analysis of waters (including, but not limited to: Total Viable Counts, E.Coli/Coliforms, Pseudomonas spp., and Legionella spp.), the testing and decontamination of Medical Devices, and Environmental Monitoring. Additional Clinical Microbiology services include DHSC approved Covid-19 by qPCR, Antibody Testing, and Rapid Testing.
20/30 Labs are registered with the Legionella Control Association for analytical services and provide customers and clients with access to a range of high-quality educational courses which comprise CPD certified content.
We are proud to support several nationally recognised brands throughout the UK in providing not only water testing but expert advice. This forms a critical part of their operational plan to safely reopen to the public, and ongoing validation that control measures are effective. Our dedicated team are highly responsive, customer-orientated, and proud to assist premises and facilities of all types and sizes, spanning all industries across the country during these challenging times.
For more information on how we can help to directly support your water management programme, contribute to your risk assessment strategy and ensure you remain compliant, please do not hesitate to contact our team to find out more ways in which we can help.
