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Legionella in Schools During the Summer Holidays
TL;DR
Summer holidays significantly change how school water systems are used. Outlets that are in constant use during term time can sit idle for weeks, while partial occupancy from holiday clubs, lettings, or maintenance work creates inconsistent usage across the same site.
For water hygiene consultancies supporting schools and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), the challenge is turning risk assessments and written control schemes into a clear, manageable summer programme. Responsibilities must be defined, tasks scheduled, and any exceptions identified before normal use resumes.
TEAMS helps manage this process by bringing planning, monitoring, and reporting into one central system.
Why school holidays change the risk profile
During term time, regular use of taps, toilets, showers, and kitchens helps maintain water movement. Over the summer, that usage often drops sharply.
Some buildings may close completely, while others remain partially in use. This creates uneven water usage across the site, increasing the risk of stagnation in certain outlets or pipework.
Summer should not be treated as a pause in water safety. It is a temporary change in building use that requires active management based on the current Legionella risk assessment and control scheme.
Plan the programme before term ends
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Each school’s requirements depend on system design, usage patterns, and risk assessment findings.
Before the end of term, consultancies and clients should confirm:
- Which buildings and outlets will remain in use
- Which areas may become infrequently used
- Required control measures
- Responsibility for each task
- Site access arrangements
- How exceptions and issues will be recorded
- What needs reviewing before reopening
This becomes especially important where responsibilities are shared across school staff, estates teams, contractors, and external consultants.
Maintain visibility during reduced occupancy
Lower occupancy can make monitoring harder to manage. Staff availability changes, access may be restricted, and planned usage doesn’t always match reality.
When records are spread across spreadsheets, emails, and paper systems, maintaining oversight becomes difficult.
TEAMS Legionella Monitoring provides a shared, real-time view of planned, scheduled, and completed work. Programmes can be built per site, with recurring tasks assigned to field teams who can access site data and log results on the go.
This reduces administrative delays and ensures both office and field teams are working from the same up-to-date information.
Record exceptions clearly
During school closures, not all planned work can be completed as expected.
Outlets may be inaccessible, removed, or affected by refurbishment. Unexpected readings or issues may arise that require further investigation.
TEAMS allows these exceptions to be recorded against specific sites, outlets, and visits, providing a clear and auditable record. This makes it easier to identify outstanding actions and ensure they are addressed before reopening.
The platform also centralises asset data, monitoring results, risks, and corrective actions, all accessible through the Client Portal. This ensures both consultancy and client are aligned using the same live records.
The Legionella Online Log Book further supports shared responsibility by giving authorised users access to key information between visits.
Review before reopening
Issues should be resolved before the first day of term... not discovered on it.
Before reopening, the responsible person and competent adviser should review:
- Completion of required tasks
- Accessibility of all relevant areas
- Monitoring results and observations
- Status of corrective actions
- Updates from any building works
- Need for risk assessment or control changes
- Any additional work required
TEAMS supports this process by consolidating programme status, monitoring data, risks, and outstanding actions into one clear view.
While TEAMS does not determine whether a building is safe to reopen, it provides a structured evidence base to support informed decisionmaking.
Supporting schools and MATs at scale
Managing one school over summer is complex. Managing multiple schools across a MAT adds a significant coordination challenge.
TEAMS provides a consistent, estate-wide view, allowing consultancies to track progress, identify gaps, and prioritise action across all sites.
Clients also benefit from improved visibility without relying on manual updates or fragmented reporting.
Keep the summer programme under control
While school closures are predictable, how each site is used during that time is not.
Effective planning before term ends, consistent monitoring during the break, and structured review before reopening are key to maintaining control.
TEAMS brings together programmes, records, and reporting in one place... helping water hygiene consultancies reduce administration, improve visibility, and manage school estates with confidence.
