Hairdressers require water test certification only if they form part of a complex, hotel

Hairdressing salons that have a water supply directly connected to the mains do not have to carry out water tests, the public health authorities have clarified.

Salons that are supplied through the mains will only need to open all taps for a few minutes to flush out the water system before reopening on Friday.

Hairdressing outlets that use a rooftop water tank will need to clean the tank and flush the water system for a few minutes without the need to test the water.

The rules form part of obligations imposed on outlets that will reopen on Friday after government lifted COVID-19 restrictions.

“It is important that the water heater temperature is raised to 60˚C, and thus there is no need to take samples and get approval from the Environmental Health Directorate,” the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate said on Tuesday afternoon.

Confusion reigned among hairdressers after lengthy regulations required outlets to ensure water systems are safe to prevent the risk of infections derived from water such as Legionnaire’s disease.

While standalone outlets that either use mains water or tank water can carry out a simple flushing out exercise, the health authorities have imposed the need for a test certificate of water quality from outlets that form part of complexes and hotels that have central water supplies.

In these cases, the outlets are required to carry out water tests and provide certification that their systems are disease-free.

Water testing experts say that such tests for Legionnaire’s disease can take up to two weeks give results.

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