There are various water tank regulations covering the storage of potable water. Understanding these regulations is essential to your business remaining compliant.
There are different regulations to cover hot and cold water, which we are going to run through here.
Water Supply Regulations 1999
These regulations help prevent contamination and waste of water supplied by a water undertaker. They talk about water fittings, for example how they are installed, connected, arranged and used. This is to ensure they are not likely to cause misuse, excessive consumption or contamination.
WRAS Approval
The WRAS is the Water Regulations Approval Scheme. It is an independent UK certification that governs plumbing products and materials. It helps businesses and consumers choose products that are compliant and water-safe.
When looking for a potable water tank, for example, you should look for one that is WRAS-approved. This demonstrates that the tank is compliant with strict regulations.
British Standards for Water Tanks
There are a few BS standards that cover various regulations regarding water storage tanks.
BS 8558 is a 2015 document concerning issues with domestic water services in buildings. It covers important information regarding the design, installation, testing, operation and maintenance of tanks that store domestic water.
BS 8515:2009 is another document that sets out the requirements for harvesting rainwater. This also includes design, installation and maintenance, as well as risk management. It sets out requirements such as:
- Ensuring tanks are watertight to prevent water from leaking.
- Include measures that prevent water from stagnating.
- Use tanks that are resistant to microbial growth.
- Ensure tanks are legionella-free.
Legionella Control and HSE Guidelines
There are further regulations to control legionella. These come under the Health and Safety Executive.
Legionella is a bacteria that’s often found in water. The bacteria can multiply when water is kept between 20-45°C, especially if there are nutrients available. Because of this spread, the HSE guidelines stipulate that water should be kept below 20°C or above 60°C. This applies whether the tank is storing drinking water or water to supply appliances like pools and jacuzzis.
Fire-Water Storage Regulations
There are also specific storage regulations to cover fire water storage. This can be related to your company’s fire assessment, as depending on your business and building size you will need to have a certain amount of water available.
The tank should also be secure and reliable, and they might need to include a backup pump if this is deemed appropriate. The system will also need to meet standards such as the BS 5306.
Water Tank Regulations: FAQs
What are the limits of legionella control?
It’s not always possible to eliminate legionella 100% from water, so there is a guideline of what is permissible. This guideline is no more than 100 legionella bacteria per litre of sample.
What is the BS standard for water?
Several BS standards relate to different areas of water storage and supply.
Water quality is governed by BS 8580-1:2019, BS 8580-2:2022 and BS EN ISO 5667 which look at maintaining hygiene standards to prevent dangerous bacteria and pathogens from spreading, such as Legionella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Water supply is governed by BS EN 1508, BS EN 15975-1:2011+A1:2015 and BS ISO 24527:2020 which set out guidelines for alternative drinking water during emergencies and supplying external systems and components.