Part of the Legionella Data Index · compiled 2 August 2026
100Confirmed cases, 2023
3Enforcement cases tracked
£300kTotal fines in tracked cases
39Towns in the hardness dataset
01 / SURVEILLANCE
Legionnaires' disease in the South East England
The most recent regional figure UKHSA states explicitly: 100 confirmed cases of legionellosis in the South East England in 2023.
Whatever the regional count, the duties do not change: a non-domestic water system in the South East England still needs a risk assessment, a written scheme of control, and the records to show the scheme is being followed. Source: UKHSA national surveillance (Open Government Licence).
02 / ENFORCEMENT
Prosecutions tracked in the South East England
The tracker holds 3 legionella prosecutions from the South East England, totalling £300k in fines (2015–2020).
| Defendant | Year | Sector | Fine | Prosecutor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sentinel Health Care Limited Death/outbreak A 56-year-old resident died of Legionnaires' disease contracted at a Hampshire care home in 2020. In the CQC's first legionella prosecution, the company admitted failing to provide safe care and treatment. Source
|
2020 | Care home | £150k | Care Quality Commission |
|
Reading Borough Council Death/outbreak A 95-year-old resident died in 2012 of legionella pneumonia at a council-run intermediate-care home, where the strain in his room's washbasin tap matched his infection. Monitoring and flushing had been left to an inadequately trained handyman with no cover. Source
|
2016 | Care home | £100k | HSE |
|
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust Death/outbreak The Trust, which ran the Royal Sussex County Hospital, failed to adequately act on 114 positive legionella tests and 651 out-of-range water-temperature records between October 2010 and November 2011; chlorine dioxide dosing at five sites routinely under-delivered. The case followed the death of cancer patient Joan Rayment, 78, in November 2011. Pleaded guilty to breaching HSWA s3(1) and was fined £50,000 plus £38,705.60 costs at Lewes Crown Court in June 2015. A joint HSE and Sussex Police investigation. Source
|
2015 | Healthcare | £50k | 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.
03 / WATER HARDNESS
Water hardness in the South East England towns
20 of 39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldershot | South East Water | 197 | Moderately hard | Moderate | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Andover | Wessex Water | — | Moderately hard to very hard * | — | Company statement - band only Water company corrected to Wessex Water (research section 7). Band inferred from the company regional profile; no published zone value sourced yet. |
| Ashford | Southern Water | — | Hard * | High * | Company statement - band only (Southern Water) Southern Water states most of its supply is hard, from underground chalk aquifers. |
| Aylesbury | Anglian Water | 287 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Basingstoke | South East Water | 288 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Brighton | Southern Water | 290 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Canterbury | Southern Water | — | Hard * | High * | Company statement - band only (Southern Water) Southern Water states most of its supply is hard, from underground chalk aquifers. |
| Chatham | Southern Water | — | Hard * | High * | Company statement - band only (Southern Water) Southern Water states most of its supply is hard, from underground chalk aquifers. |
| Chichester | Portsmouth Water | — | Moderately hard to hard (~230-300 mg/l) * | High * | Company statement - band only (Portsmouth Water) Water company corrected to Portsmouth Water (research section 7). Portsmouth Water describes its chalk South Downs supply as moderately hard. |
| Crawley | Southern Water | 251 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Dartford | Thames Water | 310 | Very hard | Very high | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Dover | Southern Water | 285 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Eastbourne | South East Water | — | Hard to very hard * | High to very high * | Company statement - band only Band inferred from the company regional profile; no published zone value sourced yet. |
| Fareham | Portsmouth Water | — | Moderately hard to hard (~230-300 mg/l) * | High * | Company statement - band only (Portsmouth Water) Portsmouth Water describes its chalk South Downs supply as moderately hard. |
| Farnborough | South East Water | 288 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Folkestone | Southern Water | 285 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Gillingham | Southern Water | 275.1 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Gosport | Portsmouth Water | — | Moderately hard to hard (~230-300 mg/l) * | High * | Company statement - band only (Portsmouth Water) Portsmouth Water describes its chalk South Downs supply as moderately hard. |
| Gravesend | Thames Water | 310 | Very hard | Very high | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Guildford | Thames Water | 206 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Hastings | Southern Water | — | Hard * | High * | Company statement - band only (Southern Water) Southern Water states most of its supply is hard, from underground chalk aquifers. |
| Havant | Portsmouth Water | — | Moderately hard to hard (~230-300 mg/l) * | High * | Company statement - band only (Portsmouth Water) Portsmouth Water describes its chalk South Downs supply as moderately hard. |
| High Wycombe | Thames Water | 288 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Maidstone | South East Water | — | Hard to very hard * | High to very high * | Company statement - band only Band inferred from the company regional profile; no published zone value sourced yet. |
| Margate | Southern Water | — | Hard * | High * | Company statement - band only (Southern Water) Southern Water states most of its supply is hard, from underground chalk aquifers. |
| Milton Keynes | Anglian Water | 280 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Oxford | Thames Water | 276-280 | Hard | High | Two agreeing sources - unverified (MyTapWater + WaterGrade) Two independent aggregators agree; still to be spot-checked against the company checker. |
| Portsmouth | Portsmouth Water | 230 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Ramsgate | Southern Water | — | Hard * | High * | Company statement - band only (Southern Water) Southern Water states most of its supply is hard, from underground chalk aquifers. |
| Reading | Thames Water | 260-280 | Hard | High | Two agreeing sources - unverified (MyTapWater + WaterGrade) Two independent aggregators agree; still to be spot-checked against the company checker. |
| Ryde | Southern Water | — | Hard * | High * | Company statement - band only (Southern Water) Southern Water states most of its supply is hard, from underground chalk aquifers. |
| Slough | Thames Water | 301 | Very hard | Very high | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Southampton | Southern Water | 220 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Southsea | Portsmouth Water | — | Moderately hard to hard (~230-300 mg/l) * | High * | Company statement - band only (Portsmouth Water) Portsmouth Water describes its chalk South Downs supply as moderately hard. |
| Tunbridge Wells | South East Water | — | Hard to very hard * | High to very high * | Company statement - band only Band inferred from the company regional profile; no published zone value sourced yet. |
| Waterlooville | Portsmouth Water | — | Moderately hard to hard (~230-300 mg/l) * | High * | Company statement - band only (Portsmouth Water) Portsmouth Water describes its chalk South Downs supply as moderately hard. |
| Winchester | South East Water | — | Hard to very hard * | High to very high * | Company statement - band only Supplier attribution to verify (South East Water vs Southern Water, research section 7). Band inferred from the company regional profile; no published zone value sourced yet. |
| Woking | Thames Water | 273 | Hard | High | Single source - unverified (WaterGrade) |
| Worthing | Southern Water | — | Hard * | High * | Company statement - band only (Southern Water) Southern Water states most of its supply is hard, from underground chalk aquifers. |
* 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.
04 / COUNCIL DUTIES
What councils in the South East England 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 the South East England:
| Council | Nation | Scheme | In force | Legionella in licensing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford City Council Citywide Full 23-condition document scanned: zero legionella or water-system mentions. Source document | England | Selective licensing | 1 Sep 2022 onwards | Checked - not in conditions |
| Brighton & Hove City Council Additional: citywide (live 2024). Selective: Kemptown, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, Whitehawk & Marina wards (live 2024) | England | Additional HMO licensing + Selective licensing | n/a | Not yet verified |
Important
This page is general guidance only. Legionella risk varies with the specific water system, its use, and the people exposed to it. You should consult a competent legionella risk assessor for advice on your premises. LegionellaCheck is an independent information service and is not affiliated with HSE, UKAS, the Legionella Control Association, or any water hygiene company. This site does not provide medical advice. If you suspect Legionnaires' disease, contact NHS 111 or your GP.