Part of the Legionella Data Index · compiled 2 August 2026
Legionnaires' disease in London
UKHSA does not state a confirmed case count for London in the surveillance text. Full region-by-region counts for every English region are not published; the figures that are published are on the national Index. Surveillance counts only laboratory-confirmed, reported cases, so any published figure is a floor, not the true total.
Prosecutions tracked in London
The tracker holds 1 legionella prosecutions from London, totalling £0 in fines (2016–2016).
| Defendant | Year | Sector | Fine | Prosecutor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St Christopher's Hospice Death/outbreak The Sydenham hospice failed to appoint a competent person to control legionella in its hot and cold water system. A patient died of Legionnaires' disease in August 2012 and an orderly later spent 18 days in a coma. Convicted at Southwark Crown Court in 2016 of breaching HSWA ss.2 and 3; sentenced to a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £25,000 in costs. No fine was imposed. Recorded as a prosecution with a death rather than a fine. Source
|
2016 | Healthcare | n/a | HSE |
The full UK record, its curation rules and the per-sector breakdown are on the Legionella Enforcement Tracker; sector views sit under the Index.
Water hardness in London towns
12 of 17 towns here carry a reported hardness figure; the rest show a band inferred from the water company's own statement, or an honest gap. Every row names its source and confidence. Scale risk uses the DWI/WHO anchor: scaling begins around 200 mg/l CaCO₃.
| Town | Water company | Hardness (mg/l CaCO₃) | Hardness band | Scale risk | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barking | Thames Water | 342 | Very hard | Very high | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Barnet | Affinity Water | 270 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Bromley | Thames Water | 282 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Croydon | Thames Water | — | Hard to very hard (>200 mg/l typical) * | High to very high * | Company statement - band only (Thames Water) Thames Water Access Code 2025 states most supplies in its region are hard (>200 mg/l as CaCO3). |
| Ealing | Thames Water | 263 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Enfield | Thames Water | — | Hard to very hard (>200 mg/l typical) * | High to very high * | Company statement - band only (Thames Water) Thames Water Access Code 2025 states most supplies in its region are hard (>200 mg/l as CaCO3). |
| Harrow | Affinity Water | 363 | Very hard | Very high | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Hounslow | Thames Water | 263 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Ilford | Thames Water | — | Hard to very hard (>200 mg/l typical) * | High to very high * | Company statement - band only (Thames Water) Thames Water Access Code 2025 states most supplies in its region are hard (>200 mg/l as CaCO3). |
| Kingston upon Thames | Thames Water | — | Hard to very hard (>200 mg/l typical) * | High to very high * | Company statement - band only (Thames Water) Thames Water Access Code 2025 states most supplies in its region are hard (>200 mg/l as CaCO3). |
| London | Thames Water | 260-320 | Hard to Very hard | High to very high | Two agreeing sources - unverified (MyTapWater + WaterGrade) Two independent aggregators agree; still to be spot-checked against the company checker. |
| Richmond upon Thames | Thames Water | 251 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Romford | Thames Water | — | Hard to very hard (>200 mg/l typical) * | High to very high * | Company statement - band only (Thames Water) Thames Water Access Code 2025 states most supplies in its region are hard (>200 mg/l as CaCO3). |
| Sutton | SES Water | 265.8 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Twickenham | Thames Water | 251 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Uxbridge | Affinity Water | 308 | Very hard | Very high | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Wembley | Affinity Water | 295 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
* Band or scale risk inferred from the water company's own published statement, not a measured town value. Figures labelled "unverified" come from aggregator sites and should be confirmed against the company's postcode water-quality checker before being relied on. How this dataset is built.
What councils in London ask of landlords
The national legionella duty is the same everywhere; what varies locally is property licensing and whether legionella is written into licence conditions. These verified councils fall in London:
| Council | Nation | Scheme | In force | Legionella in licensing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster City Council 15 wards Council's Standards for Rental Accommodation: "Landlords must carry out a Legionella risk assessment for all rented properties… hot water stored at 60°C or above, cold below 20°C…" Source document | England | Selective licensing | 24 Nov 2025 onwards | Guidance / standards only |
| London Borough of Newham Selective: 22 wards (excl. Royal Victoria and Stratford Olympic Park), £750. Additional: borough-wide, in force 1 January 2023 | England | Selective licensing + Additional HMO licensing | 1 Jun 2023 onwards | Not yet verified |
| London Borough of Tower Hamlets Additional: borough-wide. Selective: Whitechapel, Weavers, Spitalfields & Banglatown areas (HMOs there moved to additional licensing from 1 April 2024) | England | Additional HMO licensing + Selective licensing | 1 Apr 2024 onwards | Not yet verified |
| London Borough of Waltham Forest Near-borough-wide | England | Selective licensing | 1 May 2025 – 30 Apr 2030 | Not yet verified |