The UK is home to an enormous number of water treatment companies offering legionella control and testing services. The Legionella Control Association (LCA), for example, maintains a directory of 300-plus suppliers that follow its voluntary code of conduct. They vary in size from one-man band firms to large enterprises, from jacks-of-all-trades to more niche providers.

So what should you look for in a water treatment company?

Membership of an industry body like the LCA, which requires its suppliers to meet minimum standards for service delivery, is a good starting point. But it’s not the only thing you should think about when it comes to choosing a provider for legionella control. Depending on the nature of your business, there may be other factors that affect whether or not a water treatment company is the right fit for you.

They might include the following:

Experience

Experience of legionella and your industry is all-important when it comes to legionella control. It’s a common misconception that a legionella risk assessment is mostly a water testing exercise – in reality, it requires in-depth knowledge of risk factors like the conditions that encourage legionella growth, the demographic profile of the users of your premises, and the precautionary and remedial measures necessary to bring your business in line with HSE guidance.

An experienced provider will also be able to offer guidance on more uncommon and surprising sources of legionella risk, such as decorative fountains, sprinkler systems and hand dryers – not just the usual suspects of cooling towers and showerheads.

Range of services

Secondly, look for a water treatment company that can perform a wide range of legionella testing and control services. Your risk assessment might indicate that a complex set of corrective remedial actions are needed to achieve legionella compliance, including water chlorination, TMV servicing, and removal of dead legs. Seek assurance that your chosen provider has the skills and resources to carry out this work competently and efficiently.

Coverage

For some businesses, a local water treatment company is a suitable option. For others, such as hotel chains or groups of care homes, national coverage may be preferable. If your business has multiple sites across the UK, check that a potential partner can offer a consistently high quality of service – in terms of engineer skills and regularity of visits – at every location.

If your chosen provider can’t make it to your site within the timeframes set out by your risk assessment, you might even be looking at a compliance issue – and the duty holder, rather than water treatment company, will be the party held responsible by law.

Want to know if Brodex can help you meet your legionella control and testing needs? Get in touch and we’ll see if you’d benefit from a free site survey.