Flush little-used water outlets

Run any tap, shower or hose that is not used at least weekly — cellar taps, outside taps, disabled toilets, spare washbasins — for several minutes to clear standing water, and log that it was done.

Stagnant water in pipework is exactly the condition Legionella bacteria need to multiply. A single unflushed outlet is the most common finding in Legionella incident investigations at small hospitality premises.

Watch out for

• Only flushing outlets you remember exist — work from the outlet list in your Legionella risk assessment, not memory.
• Flushing for a few seconds instead of long enough to actually change the water — several minutes, not a quick burst.
• Skipping outlets in areas that are locked or hard to access, such as plant rooms — these are the ones most likely to have been forgotten entirely.

Sources

• HSE — Legionnaires' disease checked 2026-09-02

See also

• Legionella risk assessment and control scheme— this becomes part of getting open →
• Sentinel tap temperature checks
• Start the logbook on day one— this becomes part of getting open →