Little-Used Water Outlets: A Common Legionella Risk in Rental Properties
Little-Used Water Outlets: A Common Legionella Risk in Rental Properties
Spare showers, utility sinks and rarely used taps can be easy to forget, but they can play an important part in Legionella risk.
When landlords think about Legionella, the obvious focus is usually the boiler, hot water temperature or whether the property has a storage tank.
But one of the simpler things that can affect risk is how often the water outlets in the property are actually being used.
A shower in a spare en-suite, a tap in a utility room or an outside tap that is barely used may seem unimportant, but if water sits in part of the system for long periods, stagnation can become part of the risk picture.
What is a little-used outlet?
A little-used outlet is simply a tap, shower, sink or other water outlet that is used infrequently compared with the rest of the property.
In a normal family home, the main kitchen sink and bathroom shower may be used every day. A guest bathroom, however, may go for weeks without being touched.
Other examples can include a second shower, utility sink, outside tap, basin in a spare room or any outlet in part of the property that is not routinely occupied.
The important issue is not the outlet itself, but the possibility that water may remain sitting within the connected pipework for longer than it would in a regularly used part of the system.
Why does stagnation matter?
Legionella risk is influenced by a combination of factors, including water temperature, how the system is designed and whether water is moving through it regularly.
Stagnant or slow-moving water can create more favourable conditions for bacteria to multiply, particularly where other risk factors are also present.
This does not mean that every unused tap or spare shower is dangerous.
It simply means that little-used outlets should be recognised and considered as part of the wider Legionella risk assessment rather than being ignored because they are rarely used.
Which outlets are commonly overlooked?
Spare bathrooms and en-suites are probably the most obvious examples.
If a tenant mainly uses one bathroom, the second shower or basin may see very little use. In larger properties, the same can apply to guest rooms or bathrooms that are only used occasionally.
Utility rooms can also be overlooked, particularly where a sink exists but is rarely needed.
Outside taps are another good example. They may be used frequently during summer and then hardly at all through the colder months.
In some properties, there may also be older outlets that still exist but are no longer really needed. Where redundant pipework or dead ends are present, these can also form part of the risk assessment.
A simple question can be useful
When looking around a rental property, ask yourself whether every tap and shower is actually used regularly. If the answer is no, those outlets are worth identifying and including in the property's Legionella management.
What should landlords do about little-used outlets?
In many ordinary rental properties, the control measures are straightforward.
Regularly using or flushing the outlet helps keep water moving through that part of the system and reduces the chance of prolonged stagnation.
HSE guidance says that, as a general principle, hot and cold water outlets should be used at least once a week to maintain a degree of water flow and minimise stagnation.
Where a property is vacant for an extended period, Scottish Government guidance also says landlords should take steps to prevent water from stagnating, for example through a suitable flushing regime or other appropriate measures.
For landlords, the practical part is simply knowing which outlets are likely to be missed and making sure they are not forgotten.
What about showers?
Showers deserve particular attention because they produce a fine spray of water when they are used.
Scottish guidance advises tenants to regularly clean and disinfect showerheads as part of the control measures used to help minimise Legionella risk.
A spare shower that is rarely used therefore needs a little more thought than simply checking that it turns on.
During a Legionella Risk Assessment, both how often the shower is used and the condition of the outlet can form part of the overall assessment of the property.
Vacant properties need particular attention
Little-used outlets become especially relevant when a property is empty.
If nobody is living in the property, the normal daily movement of water through the system stops. Taps and showers that were previously used regularly may suddenly sit unused for weeks.
This is one reason the period between tenancies is a useful time for landlords to look at the water system and make sure it is ready for occupation again.
We covered this in more detail in our recent article about why empty properties can create Legionella risks.
Should unused outlets simply be removed?
Not necessarily.
A spare shower or second bathroom may be a perfectly useful part of the property. The issue is not that it exists, but whether the system is being managed appropriately.
However, where pipework is genuinely redundant and no longer serves a useful outlet, it should not simply be forgotten indefinitely.
Scottish Government guidance specifically says redundant pipework and dead ends should be identified and removed as part of controlling Legionella risk.
How does this fit into a Legionella Risk Assessment?
A proper Legionella Risk Assessment looks at the water system as a whole.
That means considering how hot and cold water is supplied, whether water is stored, the temperatures being achieved, the condition of relevant outlets and whether any parts of the system are little used or prone to stagnation.
Thorn provides Legionella Risk Assessments for landlords and letting agents in Glasgow, with clear findings and practical recommendations that can be kept with the property records.
Little-used does not necessarily mean high risk
It is worth keeping this in perspective.
Most normal residential properties have relatively straightforward water systems, and a little-used outlet on its own does not automatically make a property high risk.
The point is simply that frequency of use forms part of the overall picture.
Identifying those outlets and putting simple control measures in place is usually much easier than discovering later that part of the system has been left stagnant for a long period.
Thorn provides Legionella Risk Assessments for landlords and letting agents across Glasgow and East Dunbartonshire, carried out by an Elmhurst-accredited Legionella Risk Assessor.
Not sure whether your property has little-used outlets?
Ask Wendy can help with common questions about Legionella Risk Assessments, property types and guide pricing, and help you work out the appropriate next step.
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