I’m Furious.....but am I overreacting?

[KentMum81]

My OH has come home this evening and said that his work have told everyone in the office today, that the only available water supply to them (tap in the kitchen), is not drinkable.
The problem here being that they moved into the office two weeks ago and the workers have been drinking the water for the whole time.
Work have not offered any further info, other than they should not drink any more of it.
Am I being unreasonable to expect more info here? Should they not be told why the water is unsafe to drink and should they not be offered some some kind of advice regarding what to do if they become unwell, as a result of drinking bad water for two weeks.
Would I be wrong in thinking that, providing a source of safe drinking water, In an office kitchen, is a necessity?
Maybe I’m overreacting?

They have to provide drinking water so in these circumstances they should be bringing in bottled water. See here

@KentMum81. Did you find out what the issue was in the end?

Many companies will face the same problem, because lockdown meant that offices were shut, water in the system wasn't circulating and risks such as legionella are very high.

What your DHs company should be doing is

• clear communications to staff about the situation ongoing, including steps they are taking to resolve the water quality incl. timescales

• taping off areas and good signage where contamination is, so that staff don't use the taps.

• providing an alternative potable water supply, even if it's hiring water coolers or getting constant supplies of bottled water.

• putting instructions on toilet doors that people need to close toilet lids before flushing to contain droplets of contaminated water escaping into the atmosphere.

All the above is what my employer has had to do, due to exactly this problem. It's taking about 3 - 4 months before the problem will be sorted.

@KentMum81 as you can see from my list there are several things your OHs employers are currently not doing, esp lack of communications to staff. Unless they act quickly, they are at risk of failing to act lawful according to Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) which includes the obligation of employers to maintain a safe working environment and mitigate against risks to staff health.

It is not an option to sweep the water issue under the carpet, and if a member of staff were to become seriously ill from the water quality they could have to face legal action.

sure sounds dodgy but as it is not your workplace then IMO you are coming across and being a bit over the top, I would presume your partner/husband is doing what he needs to do or if not concerned himself then it is nothing to do with you

so yes as it is not you concerned to me you are overreacting

Did they ever say what the issue was?

I’ve worked in places where it’s not drinkable and never questioned why.
Just take a bottle of water to work. Easy.

There was a sticker above all the taps saying not to drink the water.

@KentMum81

My OH has come home this evening and said that his work have told everyone in the office today, that the only available water supply to them (tap in the kitchen), is not drinkable. The problem here being that they moved into the office two weeks ago and the workers have been drinking the water for the whole time. Work have not offered any further info, other than they should not drink any more of it. Am I being unreasonable to expect more info here? Should they not be told why the water is unsafe to drink and should they not be offered some some kind of advice regarding what to do if they become unwell, as a result of drinking bad water for two weeks. Would I be wrong in thinking that, providing a source of safe drinking water, In an office kitchen, is a necessity? Maybe I’m overreacting?

From HSE. I'd be reporting to HSE.

Do I need to provide drinking water?
Yes. The law requires that you provide drinking water and ensure that:
■ it is free from contamination and is preferably from the public water supply _ bottled water dispensers are acceptable as a secondary supply;
■ it is easily accessible by all employees;there are adequate supplies taking into consideration the temperature of the
working environment and types of work activity;
■ cups or a drinking fountain are provided.
Drinking water does not have to be marked unless there is a significant risk of
people drinking non-drinking water.

If the potential risk is from legionella, simply refraining from drinking it isn't sufficient. It needs to be completely left alone. No flushing, handwashing, etc. No movement of the water at all. The risk arises when the water forms any kind of spray & becomes aerosolised, it can then float around in the air & you can breathe it in, & develop a specific type of pneumonia. This is why legionnaires in aircon systems such a problem. As long as the water is left undisturbed you're safe.

If it's not legionnella that's the risk, but something else - contamination with cleaning chemicals, or rust perhaps, it should probably be ok for handwashing etc.

Based on my comments above, I'd assume that it's not legionella. Most other things should be fixable by simply flushing the system through, presumably.