Information courtesy of Wessex Water

The lockdown restrictions in place over the last couple of months has meant several business premises have been forced to close which means water within the building plumbing systems will have been left stagnant. This can cause the water quality to deteriorate within the plumbing system in a number of ways:

Warming of water

Growth of micro-organisms (e.g. bacteria, legionella)

Increased leaching of metals found in plumbing (could cause discolouration)

Taste and odour from prolonged contact with some plumbing materials

We would like to bring to your attention the steps that should be taken to remove any stagnant water and renew your water supply before your workforce return to work and use the water.

Identify all items that use water within the building (taps, showers, appliances, toilets, urinals, drinks machines, bathrooms, etc) and any water storage (tanks and cisterns). Anything storing water should be emptied and refilled first.

Then gently flush all cold-water outlets individually starting with the tap nearest to where the water enters the building and move systematically to the most distant outlet including flushing toilets. Flush until the water is cool to the touch or the same temperature as the water closest to where it enters the building.

Minimise the potential of creating aerosols by flushing gently, removing aerators, shower heads and any other tap inserts or attachments. Close toilet seat lids before flushing.

If there are any outlets that require servicing or cleaning by an external contractor (e.g. coffee machines, soft drinks machines) switch off the supply to them and do not use until a contractor can visit.

Ensure appliances are flushed and internal filters and softeners are checked to ensure they are flushed and working correctly as outlined in manufacturer’s instructions.

Once the cold water has flushed through, repeat the process with the hot water outlets.

If you have a water safety plan for the premises, this should include how to return the building water system to normal following prolonged low/no use.

Complex systems involving chemical dosing systems (eg swimming pools and spa pools) please enlist the services of a professional to service the system and return to normal operation.

For more information please see the link below:

Water UK – Recovering drinking water supplies in buildings and networks after prolonged inactivity guidance document

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – Legionella and Legionnaires’ disease

https://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/index.htm

How Often Do You Feel Lonely? Feeling isolated or lonely is a problem that most of us will face at some point in our lives. Living in a thriving and supportive community is one of the best ways of reducing the risk of loneliness and isolation, which is why CCB is supporting people to examine the kinds of activities taking place in our villages. We can help to reduce loneliness by encouraging more people to get involved with existing activities and providing help with setting new ones up.

The threat posed by the Coronavirus puts us all in an unprecedented position and ensures that the issue of social isolation is in the forefront of everyone’s minds. Whilst in the short-term we may need to restrict contact with friends and neighbours, particularly those more vulnerable to the virus, it is important to consider how to ensure that we live in well-connected communities in the longer-term.

The link below will take you to a survey form, responses to which will help us with this project. The form asks how easy is it to find and access activities in your community, and seeks your ideas on what you’d like to see taking place. You don’t have to give us any personal details, just your reflections and ideas.

https://ccberks.wufoo.com/forms/community-loneliness-survey/

Please get in touch if you have any questions about the project or are interested in getting involved. Thank you. Tim Parry: tim.parry@ccberks.org.uk

Provided by Thames Valley Police
Professional criminals are targeting the homes of vulnerable people and using them for drug-dealing – a process known as “cuckooing”.

Dealers often entice the vulnerable person into allowing their home to be used for drug dealing by giving them free drugs or offering to pay for food or utilities. These criminals are very selective about who they target as “cuckoo” victims and are often entrepreneurial. A lot of the time victims are lonely, isolated, or frequent drug users themselves.

“Cuckooing” means the criminals can operate from an unobtrusive property, making it an attractive option. They can then use the premises to deal and manufacture drugs in an environment that is not known to police, usually staying for just one day at a time. When the dealers use the victim’s property for criminal enterprises, the inhabitants become terrified of going to the police for fear of being suspected of involvement in drug dealing or being identified as a member of the group, which would result in their eviction from the property.

The victims of this type of exploitation could easily be your neighbours or other people you know. Just one phone call to the police or Crimestoppers could give the police and other agencies the ability to change someone’s life. Signs to look out for:
• Often takes place in a multi-occupancy or social housing property
• An increase in the number of coming and goings from the property.
• Offenders will often have new vehicles outside the property or hire cars.
• Possible increase in anti-social behaviour in and around the property.
• The victim will often disengage from support services.
• New, unfamiliar persons visiting the property.
If you’re concerned about drug-related crime where you live, call us on 101, or 999 in an emergency, to report any drug-related information or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk