100% Water Hygiene Compliance Across 400+ Residential Blocks

Since December 2019, Sureserve Compliance Water has delivered water hygiene monitoring and remedial works for Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH). Awarded one of two regions at the outset, we now deliver across both, and every contracted property is fully compliant.

The brief

MTVH needed a single, dependable partner to keep water systems safe and compliant across a large and varied portfolio. Its blocks range from low-rise homes to high-rise towers and sheltered and supported housing, each with its own written scheme and risk profile.

The client also wanted better visibility. Water hygiene data had been shared through several separate spreadsheets, held by both MTVH and Sureserve, which made it hard to see compliance status in one place.

What we deliver

We deliver water hygiene services in line with each property's written scheme, ACoP L8 and HSG274. MTVH provides an annual property list, which we programme to the recommended monitoring, servicing and testing schedules.

Our scope covers:

• Monthly and quarterly monitoring, temperature sampling and microbiological testing
• Flushing and disinfection of water systems
• TMV servicing and replacement, and shower head cleaning and descaling
• Cold water storage and booster tank maintenance
• Booster, sump and wastewater pump servicing, with 24/7 call-out
• Sewage tank emptying and maintenance
  

Legionella risk assessments (LRAs) and written schemes come from MTVH's risk assessment contractor, and we work closely with them. Before any visit is programmed, we audit every LRA and written scheme ourselves. This acts as a fail-safe, giving MTVH added assurance that nothing is missed.

One shared source of compliance data

Working with MTVH, we replaced multiple spreadsheets with a single shared dataset, powered by our compliance management software, Zetasafe.

Zetasafe captures all contract delivery information and gives each property a digital logbook, with every property and asset logged against MTVH's UPRNs. The MTVH team can view live data through an online portal and dashboard.

Zetasafe is also configured to feed MTVH's own True Compliance system. Reports are produced daily using MTVH's naming conventions, ready for upload, so both organisations work from the same accurate picture.

Remedials and major works

Remedial works are identified during our monitoring visits or by MTVH's risk assessment contractor. Each job is priced against agreed schedules of rates, then logged digitally with before and after photographs and an automatically generated PDF report.

Typical remedials include removing dead legs from pipework, removing individual water tanks in low-rise homes and installing or replacing TMVs. For larger projects, we run a dedicated programme of GRP water tank replacements across MTVH's blocks.

A dedicated, familiar team

Works are delivered by our directly employed, London-based technicians, supported by a specialist partner for high-rise pump servicing and installation. The team includes:

• 5 ringfenced technicians trained to Legionella Control Association (LCA) standards, carrying out water hygiene monitoring
• 6 technicians for shower head cleaning and TMV servicing
• A scalable cross-contract team for remedial works

The same technician attends each property for every water hygiene visit. That continuity builds familiarity with the building, its assets, site staff and residents.

Operations Manager Kirsty Petty is MTVH's single point of contact across the contract. With a dedicated operations coordinator, she ensures we meet MTVH's 4-hour response times, including 24/7 call-out on pumps.

Putting residents first

Our coordinator books visits with premises managers and, where access to homes is needed, directly with residents. Appointments are offered in 2-hour slots, scheduled through Zetasafe.

Our teams follow the Sureserve customer journey and MTVH's contractor code of conduct. We have received no complaints on the contract. Should one arise, our three-stage escalation process targets resolution within 24 hours, in line with MTVH policy.

During one GRP tank replacement, our team stayed on site until 11pm. They made sure every resident had their water supply restored and the work was finished the same day, so no household was left without water overnight.

The results

• 100% water hygiene compliance across all contracted MTVH properties
• Every monitoring visit delivered to the agreed programme
• Zero complaints on the contract
• Two regions: initially awarded one, we were awarded the second on the strength of our performance