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AquaCare rises to the Western Challenge

• Risk assessment programme covers over 7,500 homes

Western Challenge Housing Association has contracted AquaCare Water Hygiene Services to provide Legionella risk assessments. The programme commenced on September 1st and will cover Western Challenge Housing Association’s entire residential property portfolio - including HMOs and tower blocks.

As an independent landlord providing over 7,500 homes for rent and shared ownership across the South of England, some1,400 of which are for people who need care or support to live independently, Western Challenge Housing Association has a significant duty of care to its residents. With many properties having shared water supplies and services, water hygiene is a key element in this responsibility. Following a highly competitive evaluation process, Western Challenge Housing Association selected AquaCare to provide the water hygiene risk assessments programme for all its residential properties.

“All the companies we approached responded professionally but it was the comprehensive quality, style and structure of the AquaCare reporting that swung the balance,” comments Jon Tremlett, Western Challenge Housing Association’s asset manager.

Trained AquaCare Consultants undertake a full site inspection to identify all water systems covered by ACoP L8 requirements - stored water, drinking water, closed systems, etc – and then conduct a thorough risk assessment. Following each risk assessment, AquaCare produces a comprehensive report, including detailed schematic system drawings and identifying any remedial action necessary to meet current standards. Important to Western Challenge was the way AquaCare’s reporting is both site specific and standardised, making it ideal for multi-site management.

From initial risk assessment through to cleaning and ongoing treatment, AquaCare provides a total water quality service to help a wide variety of organisations, including housing associations like Western Challenge, comply with Health and Safety Legionella legislation, particularly Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) L8 for the control of Legionella bacteria in water systems.

About Western Challenge Housing Association Western Challenge Housing Association is a charitable Industrial and Provident Society and a Registered Social Landlord. It is part of the wider Spectrum Housing Group, which manages some 15,000 properties for rent and sale across the south of England and in the Midlands.

Parkstone House, the nurses’ accommodation at Poole General Hospital, is just one of the many buildings to be Legionella risk assessed by AquaCare Water Hygiene Services for Western Challenge Housing Association. (Photo provided by Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)