Water

1. Follow manufacturers' recommendations when using household cleaning products. Soft water requires far less detergent concentration than hard water. 
2. Use liquids (not powders) in washing machines and dishwashers. Powders re-coagulate into clumps and can cause blockages.
3. Try to spread your clothes washing throughout the week.
4. Stick to the same washing, dishwasher and other cleaning products as the bacteria will work more efficiently with products it is used to treating.
5. Think before you put anything down the sink, toilet or drains.
6. Ensure only toilet paper is flushed down the toilet and used in normal quantities.
7. Compost all your organic food waste or use your local council bio–degradable waste recycling service (where applicable) to dispose of organic waste. Do not flush organic waste down the sink or drain.

1. Don’t put sanitary towels, tampons, cotton wool or cotton wool buds, condoms, toilet roll holders,  elastic bands, cigarette butts, contact lenses, dental floss, razor blades, tights, toothbrushes, incontinence pads or any baby, cleaning or facial wipes down the toilet. Wrap them up and put them in the ordinary bin for removal.
2. Don’t flush rubber products or other non-biodegradable products down the toilet.
3. Don’t pour fat, grease or cooking oil down the sink or drains. Let it turn solid then tip it into the bin.
4. Don’t pour DIY products (e.g. paint, thinners, turpentine and white spirit etc.) or car fluids such as engine oil, anti-freeze, brake fluid etc. down the drains.
5. Don’t tip medicine, bandages, plasters, syringes and needles or any chemicals such as photographic fluid or garden products (eg, insecticides, weed killers and fungicides) down the drains.
6. Don’t fit a waste disposal unit under your kitchen sink. Disposing of organic matter through the treatment system increases the organic load, creating bacterial overgrowth which will inhibit the treatment process.

1. We'll risk assess all properties on a rolling programme
2. We'll monitor water hygiene in blocks with shared systems
3. We'll carry out any repairs needed
4. We'll service thermostatic mixer valves (TMVs)
5. We'll give advice about caring for your water systems.

There are some things you can do to assist us:

• Where you suspect there is a water hygiene issue, contact us as soon as possible so we can investigate
• You should not attempt to fix or do DIY repairs to the water system
• Do not remove any part of the system.

On a practical level, you can:

• Run all unused taps (indoor and outdoor) for at least two minutes weekly
• Clean and descale your taps and shower heads regularly to avoid build up of lime scale and bacteria
• Leave your water heater and boiler on. Set the temperature of your water heater and boiler to above 60°C. It's important to prevent water sitting at temperatures between 25°C – 45°C as harmful bacteria may develop.
• Report any repairs to us.
• If you’ve been away or you’ve just moved into a new home, run all the taps (including your shower) for at least two minutes before using them, to clear any sitting water.