Summer Shutdown? What to Do Before you break-up.

14 Jul 2026

Published in: Member News

For many businesses, schools and premises, the summer break is a welcome opportunity to switch off after another busy start to the year.However, while buildings may be empty, your water systems still need attention.

Periods of reduced occupancy can create changes in water usage, increasing the risk of stagnation and making it even more important to maintain effective water safety controls throughout the holiday period.

Taking a little time to prepare before you break-up can help ensure your water systems remain safe over the summer and make reopening much smoother.

Here are seven practical steps to consider before closing for the summer.

1. Review Which Areas of the Building Will Still Be Occupied

Some sites close completely for periods of time over the summer, while others continue to operate with smaller provision, maintenance teams or office staff.

Understanding which areas will remain in use is the first step in planning your water safety arrangements.

By identifying occupied and unoccupied areas, you can ensure your monitoring and flushing activities reflect how the building will actually be used over the break

2. Review Your Flushing Regime

If flushing programmes aren't reviewed before the holiday, there's a risk that some outlets may be overlooked, while others continue to be flushed unnecessarily.

A good flushing regime should never be static.

It should evolve alongside changes in building occupancy and usage.

Before the break, review:

• Which outlets are likely to become little used.
• Whether your flushing schedule reflects current building use.
• Whether responsibilities are clearly allocated.
• A proactive review now can help reduce risks later.

3. Allocate Clear Responsibilities

It's important that there is a clearly identified Responsible Person who understands what water safety tasks need to be completed during the holidays.

Whether flushing, temperature monitoring or inspections are carried out by site staff or external contractors, everyone involved should understand:

• What needs to be completed.
• How often it should take place.
• How records should be maintained.

Clear responsibilities help ensure nothing is missed.

4. Complete Outstanding Remedial Actions

Summer can provide an excellent opportunity to complete maintenance work while buildings are quieter.

If previous Legionella Risk Assessments, audits or servicing visits identified remedial recommendations, consider whether these can be completed before you reopen.

Prioritising higher-risk recommendations now can help reduce disruption once you’re back to capacity.

5. Check Your Compliance Records

Before closing the site, it's worth reviewing your compliance documentation.

Ask yourself:

• Are temperature monitoring records up to date?
• Have flushing records been completed?
• Is servicing documentation current?
• Have any outstanding non-conformities been investigated?

Accurate records help demonstrate that water safety has been managed consistently before, during and after the holiday period.

6. Consider Water Temperatures During Warmer Weather

Summer doesn't just affect occupancy; it also affects water temperatures.

As ambient temperatures increase, incoming cold-water temperatures can rise, making effective temperature monitoring even more important.

Regular monitoring helps ensure your control measures continue to operate effectively throughout the holiday period and provides confidence that your water systems remain within acceptable parameters.

7. Plan Ahead for Reopening

Preparing for reopening should begin before the summer shutdown ends.

Before staff return, your reopening plan should include:

• Flushing little-used outlets in accordance with your Written Scheme.
• Confirming hot and cold-water temperatures are achieving compliance.
• Reviewing any maintenance work completed over the summer.
• Checking that no new risks have been introduced to the water system.

A structured reopening plan helps ensure your water systems are ready for the return of normal occupancy.

Good Preparation Supports Safe Water Systems

By reviewing occupancy, updating flushing programmes, maintaining records and planning for reopening, you can reduce risk and return with confidence.

At Nant, we work with facilities across the UK to help maintain safe, compliant water systems throughout the year.

Whether it's Legionella Risk Assessments, temperature monitoring, remote monitoring technology or ongoing compliance support, our team is here to help. If you'd like advice on preparing your building for the summer, get in touch.

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