Keeping things moving

If drinking water installations are not used, microorganisms – such as legionella – can build up in the pipes in certain circumstances. In the worst case, legionella can cause lung diseases. However, these microorganisms are not big fans of running water, which prevents legionella and other undesirable germs and bacteria from multiplying. As the enforced lockdown has indirectly led to supply systems coming to an abrupt halt – especially in schools, hotels and restaurants – facility managers and technical services must ensure that operations are not disrupted. In other words, they have to make sure that water flows regularly.

Operational disruptions
An operational disruption is when a system is not used for more than 72 hours, and must be avoided at all costs. In order to avoid exposing users to risks caused by contaminated water, the requirements for proper operation of drinking water installations remain in place. Various standards and regulations detail this situation and its consequences in more detail.

There are several solutions for ensuring the quality of drinking water in this extraordinary situation. One of these is the Geberit sanitary flush unit Rapid, which flushes the pipe systems automatically on a regular basis. However, not all buildings are equipped with such solutions, meaning facility managers should have a couple of different solutions up their sleeve depending on the scenario.