It is true that drinking water is never completely germ-free, but normally the concentration of germs is harmless. Health risks only arise when the germs are able to multiply. Stagnant water and water temperatures between 25 °C and 50 °C can encourage bacterial growth. In practice, the risk is likely to occur in empty properties, in rooms that are only used intermittently or in cases where dead-end pipes are not in use.
Hygiene problems caused by excessive proliferation of germs can be reliably avoided through:
- correct planning, design and commissioning
- correct operation
- avoidance of stagnation
- avoidance of unfavourable temperatures between 25 °C and 50 °C