The 5 Most Common Water Safety Gaps We See in Care Homes

Carer holding hands with elderly lady

The 5 Most Common Water Safety Gaps We See in Care Homes

Providing high-quality care means creating a safe environment for residents, staff, and visitors. While water safety is only one part of that responsibility, it’s an essential one.

Through our work supporting more than 2,000 care homes across the UK, we’ve identified a number of common water safety gaps that can affect compliance and increase risk if they’re not addressed.

The good news is that these challenges are often straightforward to overcome with the right processes, regular review, and ongoing support.

Here are five of the most common issues we encounter during site visits.


1.Flushing Regimes That No Longer Reflect Building Usage

One of the most common issues we see is flushing not being carried out effectively.

This can happen for several reasons:

  • Outlets aren’t flushed for long enough.
  • Flushing isn’t completed frequently enough.
  • Little-used outlets are missed altogether.
  • Flushing schedules haven’t been updated to reflect changes in occupancy or how different areas of the building are being used.

As care homes evolve, some bedrooms, bathrooms or communal areas may become used more or less frequently. If flushing regimes remain static, they may no longer reflect the actual risks within the building.


How Nant Helps

During our Legionella Risk Assessments, we identify little-used outlets and help care providers implement practical flushing programmes that reflect how the building is currently being used.

Because water safety is never static, we encourage flushing regimes to be reviewed regularly as occupancy and building use changes.

Our L8 Remote Monitoring technology can also help identify where flushing may not be taking place as expected, allowing issues to be identified and addressed quickly.

 

     2.Understanding Water Temperature Requirements

Managing water temperatures can be challenging.

Care providers need to balance two important priorities:

  • Controlling the risk of Legionella.
  • Protecting vulnerable residents from scalding.

Understanding acceptable hot and cold-water temperatures, and knowing when corrective action is required, can sometimes create uncertainty for teams responsible for water safety.


How Nant Helps

Our engineers provide practical guidance to help care homes understand compliant temperature ranges and respond appropriately when temperatures fall outside acceptable limits.

Through L8 Remote Monitoring, customers also benefit from continuous temperature monitoring, providing greater visibility of their water systems and helping identify potential issues earlier.

Combined with clear reporting and ongoing support, this enables a more proactive approach to water safety.


3.Incomplete Records and Outstanding Actions

Monitoring may be taking place, but records don’t always tell the full story.

We regularly find:

  • Incomplete documentation.
  • Recommendations that haven’t been followed up.
  • Corrective actions that remain outstanding.
  • Difficulty demonstrating ongoing compliance.

Good record keeping isn’t simply about paperwork—it’s about demonstrating that water safety is being actively managed.


How Nant Helps

We provide clear compliance reports, prioritised action plans and practical support to help care providers track recommendations, complete corrective actions and maintain accurate records.

This gives managers confidence that important tasks aren’t being overlooked.


4.Remedial Recommendations That Haven’t Been Completed

Identifying a risk is only the beginning.

Following Risk Assessments or servicing visits, remedial recommendations can sometimes be delayed due to competing priorities, budget planning or uncertainty around next steps.

However, until those actions are completed, known risks remain within the water system.


How Nant Helps

We work closely with our customers to prioritise remedial works based on risk.

Our team provides clear quotations, practical advice and ongoing support to help care providers understand what needs to be done and complete actions in a structured, manageable way.


5.Legionella Risk Assessments and Written Schemes That Are Out of Date

Buildings change.

Water systems change.

Management responsibilities change.

Yet Risk Assessments and Written Schemes are not always updated to reflect those changes.

An assessment completed several years ago may no longer accurately represent how a care home currently operates.


How Nant Helps

We carry out comprehensive Legionella Risk Assessments that provide practical, site-specific recommendations rather than generic reports.

We also help customers review and maintain their Written Schemes, ensuring documentation reflects the current building, water system and management arrangements.

Keeping these documents up to date helps ensure water safety arrangements remain effective as your care home evolves.

 

Water Safety Is an Ongoing Process

Effective water safety isn’t about responding to problems when they occur—it’s about creating robust systems that identify risks early and keep them under control.

By regularly reviewing processes, keeping documentation up to date and acting on recommendations promptly, care providers can maintain safe water systems while reducing the burden of day-to-day compliance.

At Nant, we work alongside care homes across the UK to provide practical guidance, proactive support and technology-led solutions that help maintain safe, compliant water systems.

If you’d like to learn more about how Nant supports the care sector, get in touch with our team today.