PLUMBING & DRAINAGE
KEEPING STORED WATER SAFE
In a first world country like the UK, the assumption is that what comes out of the tap is always safe to use. BMJ finds out this isn’t always the case.
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ith UK Legionellosis cases having risen by more than 20% since 2017, water hygiene is firmly back in the spotlight.
According to Richard Braid, managing director of Cistermiser and Keraflo, this increase is a clear reminder that sanitation is not a legacy concern, nor one limited to rare failures. “Water hygiene is very much a live issue,” Braid says. “The fact that positive samples are still being found in healthcare buildings and council-owned properties shows that sanitation failures remain a real and present risk within modern plumbing systems.”
Despite this, sanitation is still often treated as a final outcome rather than an integral system design consideration. If water appears clear at the outlet and commissioning requirements are met, it is frequently assumed that the system is safe. Braid argues that incidents linked to poor water hygiene show that this approach is no longer sufficient. For merchants supplying the products that shape these systems, there is both a growing responsibility and an opportunity to help customers think beyond compliance and towards active control.
“For too long, sanitation has been viewed as something you check at handover or during an audit,” he explains. “But incidents linked to poor water hygiene show that this approach is no longer sufficient. You need systems that actively maintain safe conditions over time.”
The problem starts pre-tap In many commercial and public buildings, the conditions that allow bacteria to develop originate well before water reaches the outlet. Cold water storage is a particular area of vulnerability. Intermittent occupancy, oversized tanks and inconsistent turnover can all lead to stagnation, especially when water drifts into temperatures where bacteria can thrive. “The reality is that sanitation risks rarely start at the tap,” says Braid. “The conditions that allow bacteria to develop are created usually much earlier in the system often within
cold water storage. Intermittent occupancy, oversized tanks, inconsistent turnover and poor temperature control can all contribute to stagnation. When water sits unused or drifts into the temperature range where bacteria thrive, the system becomes vulnerable, regardless of how robust the downstream components may be.”
This issue has been exacerbated in recent years by changing building usage patterns. Schools, offices, healthcare facilities and multi-occupancy residential buildings often experience fluctuating demand due to holidays, remote working or seasonal occupancy. Systems designed around peak usage can spend long periods operating inefficiently.
“A system that looks fine on paper can quickly become a liability if demand drops,” Braid adds. “Without active control, excess capacity creates exactly the conditions that bacteria need.”
Beyond reactive sanitation While chemical treatment and periodic disinfection still have a role to play, Braid believes they do not address the root causes of poor water hygiene. Instead, modern sanitation strategies are increasingly focused on prevention.
“Treatment alone doesn’t fix poor system behaviour,” he says. “If turnover is inconsistent and you don’t have visibility of what’s happening in the tank, you’re always reacting rather than preventing.” At Keraflo, this thinking has driven the development of intelligent water management systems such as Tanktronic, which provide continuous insight into stored water conditions. By monitoring temperature, turnover and water levels, these systems help maintain safe parameters as a matter of course, reducing reliance on manual checks and reactive maintenance.
“Prevention starts at the tank,” Braid explains. “Active management is essential
February 2026
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
if sanitation standards are going to be maintained throughout the life of a building.”
Why merchants matter Braid believes builders’ merchants are uniquely positioned to influence how sanitation is approached across the supply chain. Rather than being seen as optional upgrades or niche compliance products, sanitation solutions should be treated as core system components. “Sanitation is just as fundamental as valves, fittings or pipework,” he says. “When merchants talk about water hygiene as part of standard system design, it changes how customers think about risk and long-term performance.”
By engaging proactively with contractors, facilities managers and specifiers, merchants can help shift conversations away from lowest upfront cost and towards whole-life value. According to Braid, this also strengthens the merchant’s role as a technical partner rather than a simple distributor.
“In a competitive market, product knowledge really matters,” he adds. “Being able to explain how sanitation and water management products work together helps customers make better decisions and builds trust.”
From compliance to control Accountability and record keeping are placing growing pressure on contractors and building owners alike. Demonstrating control of water hygiene is now just as important as achieving initial compliance.
“Sanitation shouldn’t be a box-ticking exercise reserved for audit day,” Braid concludes. “It’s an ongoing process that depends on the right products being specified and supported from the outset. By championing solutions that enable control rather than correction, merchants can help raise standards across the sector while building deeper, more consultative relationships with their customers.” BMJ
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