Summer Holidays: A Water Safety Checklist for Schools

Prepare your school for the summer holidays

Summer Holidays: A Water Safety Checklist for Schools

For many schools and education settings, the summer holidays are a welcome opportunity to switch off after another busy academic year. However, while classrooms may be empty, your water systems still need attention.

Periods of reduced occupancy can create changes in water usage, increasing the risk of stagnation and making it even more important to maintain effective water safety controls throughout the holiday period.

Taking a little time to prepare before the last bell rings can help ensure your water systems remain safe over the summer and make reopening in September much smoother.

Here are seven practical steps every school should consider before closing for the six-week holidays.


1.Review Which Areas of the Building Will Still Be Occupied

Some sites close completely over the summer, while others continue to operate with nursery provision, holiday clubs, maintenance teams or office staff.

Understanding which areas will remain in use is the first step in planning your water safety arrangements.

By identifying occupied and unoccupied areas, you can ensure your monitoring and flushing activities reflect how the building will actually be used over the break


2.Review Your Flushing Regime

If flushing programmes aren’t reviewed before the holiday, there’s a risk that some outlets may be overlooked, while others continue to be flushed unnecessarily.

A good flushing regime should never be static.

It should evolve alongside changes in building occupancy and usage.

Before the break, review:

  • Which outlets are likely to become little used.
  • Whether your flushing schedule reflects current building use.
  • Whether responsibilities are clearly allocated.

A proactive review now can help reduce risks later.


3.Allocate Clear Responsibilities

It’s important that there is a clearly identified Responsible Person who understands what water safety tasks need to be completed during the holidays.

Whether flushing, temperature monitoring or inspections are carried out by site staff or external contractors, everyone involved should understand:

  • What needs to be completed.
  • How often it should take place.
  • How records should be maintained.

Clear responsibilities help ensure nothing is missed.


4.Complete Outstanding Remedial Actions

Summer can provide an excellent opportunity to complete maintenance work while buildings are quieter.

If previous Legionella Risk Assessments, audits or servicing visits identified remedial recommendations, consider whether these can be completed before the new school year begins.

Prioritising higher-risk recommendations now can help reduce disruption once students return.


5.Check Your Compliance Records

Before closing the site, it’s worth reviewing your compliance documentation.

Ask yourself:

  • Are temperature monitoring records up to date?
  • Have flushing records been completed?
  • Is servicing documentation current?
  • Have any outstanding non-conformities been investigated?

Accurate records help demonstrate that water safety has been managed consistently before, during and after the holiday period.


6.Consider Water Temperatures During Warmer Weather

Summer doesn’t just affect occupancy; it also affects water temperatures.

As ambient temperatures increase, incoming cold-water temperatures can rise, making effective temperature monitoring even more important.

Regular monitoring helps ensure your control measures continue to operate effectively throughout the holiday period and provides confidence that your water systems remain within acceptable parameters.


7.Plan Ahead for Reopening

Preparing for September should begin before the summer holidays end.

Before pupils and staff return, your reopening plan should include:

  • Flushing little-used outlets in accordance with your Written Scheme.
  • Confirming hot and cold-water temperatures are achieving compliance.
  • Reviewing any maintenance work completed over the summer.
  • Checking that no new risks have been introduced to the water system.

A structured reopening plan helps ensure your water systems are ready for the return of normal occupancy.


Good Preparation Supports Safe Water Systems

By reviewing occupancy, updating flushing programmes, maintaining records and planning ahead for reopening, schools can reduce risk and return with confidence when the new academic year begins.

At Nant, we work with schools, colleges and education providers across the UK to help maintain safe, compliant water systems throughout the year. Whether it’s Legionella Risk Assessments, temperature monitoring, remote monitoring technology or ongoing compliance support, our team is here to help.

If you’d like advice on preparing your education setting for the summer holidays, get in touch.