Water Hygiene In Hospitality

The hospitality industry serves hundreds of thousands of customers every day.

In 2019, Europe alone had a hotel occupancy rate of 72.2%. The highest occupancy rate that year globally. And in 2020, an estimated 8.67 million people visited restaurants in Great Britain.

Therefore, water hygiene in hospitality is incredibly important along with water storage maintenance.

What Is Water Hygiene?

Behaviours that can improve cleanliness and lead to good health is hygiene. Water hygiene refers to the measures we take to ensure the water we use and consume is clean, also.

Good water hygiene is about preserving the health of water systems in order to provide safe water. Here’s some examples of water systems relevant to water hygiene in the hospitality industry:

• Drinking water supplies
• Potable Water
• Air handling units
• Swimming pools
• Spa Rooms
• Showering Rooms

Safe drinking-water is crucial to our health and well-being. Unsafe water can impair health through many illnesses as the water is contaminated. Contaminated water contains many bacterium that can aid in spreading disease to those who consume it.

Regulated piped water and connections to sewers with wastewater treatment are ways of improving service levels towards safe drinking-water. It can help reduce the number of disease deaths related to unsafe water.

Water Usage in the Industry

In the hospitality industry, it’s important to provide a comforting environment for both customers and staff. Providers aim to make guests feel important.

And the more luxurious the hotel, the more water needs there are. Unlimited access to water, laundry operations, swimming pools and spas are all features that require water to be safe.

Then there’s restaurants. In and outside of hotels. Beverages, food production, and meal prep are also things that require water.

When performing meal preparations, ingredients have to be washed if they’re freshly delivered. Fresh vegetable garnish may still have dirt, bugs, or chemicals on them so washing is an important step. Not to mention washing hands with soap.

Doing any of this with poor water hygiene runs the risk of making all your customers ill. Then that just leads to bad reviews.

Risks Of Poor Water Hygiene

Water that’s contaminated has been linked to diseases like cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. Inappropriately managed water exposes people to risks that are harmful to their health. It is incredibly irresponsible if water systems are inadequately managed.

When drinking water is contaminated, it’s usually down to inappropriate handling and storage. Especially in the hospitality industry. This can lead to harmful water-borne illnesses, like Legionnaires’ disease, caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophilia and other related bacteria.

Storing water is fine but practising the hygienic precautions must be done, too. Legionella training is a must for all staff members who are involved in any water processes – handling, storing, collection.

Water Hygiene Guidance For The Hospitality Industry

The easiest way of practising good water hygiene is for hotel and restaurant owners to train their employees. Understanding water safety regulations and laws outlined by HSE (Health and Safety Executive) will provide them with the knowledge they need regarding water hygiene.

The control of bacteria like Legionella can be prevented by practising proper water hygiene techniques. And following precautions: considering water temperature, water cleanliness, and (if relevant) water tank condition.

Legionella risk assessments should be performed at least twice a year on water storage tanks. These risk assessments are mandatory and must be carried out to ensure water safety and responsibility.

Rust, leaks, and cracks in your tank are damaging. Damaged water tanks can lead to bacteria getting in and contaminating the water. Luckily, there are professionals (like us at Cold Water Storage) who can help repair damage or install a new water tank.

Contacting professionals is the best option in the hospitality industry because the water is being provided to thousands of consumers every single day.

Contact Us

With 30 years of knowledge and experience in the water hygiene and Legionella industry, we at Cold Water Storage can guarantee expertise.

We provide meticulous Legionella risk assessments as well as water treatment services to make sure that you’re complying with water hygiene regulations.

Need any installations, repairs, relines or replacements on your cold water storage tanks? We’ve got you covered.

Get in touch with our team today. You can call us at 01943 872 311 or email info@coldwaterstorage.co.uk. We’ll respond as soon as possible!