Enforcement data · Sector

Legionella enforcement: water treatment

1 tracked UK prosecutions in the water treatment sector, totalling £24k in fines from 2009 to 2009. Every case is drawn from the curated enforcement record and cited to its primary source.

Part of the Legionella Data Index · curated record, last reviewed July 2026

1Prosecutions tracked
£24kTotal fines
£24kLargest single fine
0Involving a death or outbreak
DefendantYearRegionFineProsecutor
DEBA UK Ltd
A risk-assessment contractor (not the care-home operator) carried out inadequate legionella risk assessments in 2007 that wrongly rated two Craegmoor Healthcare nursing homes in Wales as low risk, where controls were in fact inadequate. No outbreak or death resulted. Pleaded guilty to three charges under HSWA s3(1) and was fined £24,000 plus £17,276 costs at Abertillery Magistrates' Court in August 2009. Notable as a prosecution of the assessor rather than the duty-holder. Source
2009 Wales £24k HSE

This is a curated record of significant, well-documented cases, not a complete list of every prosecution in the sector, and it skews towards fatal and heavily reported cases. Cases with no fine (a conditional discharge, for example) count as prosecutions but add nothing to the fines total. The full record, the curation rules and the correction policy are on the Legionella Enforcement Tracker.

Past prosecutions show what courts have punished; they say nothing about any individual building. The failings that recur in these cases - no risk assessment, no written scheme, no monitoring records, warnings ignored - are exactly what the baseline controls address.

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A structured Word document following the five-step approach in ACOP L8. Covers risk identification, written scheme, monitoring, and records. If it isn't written down, you can't evidence it.

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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.