Utilizing AI Legalese Decoder to Understand Your Rights and Make a Claim for Drinking Contaminated Water from a Landlord’s Tank
- November 8, 2023
- Posted by: legaleseblogger
- Category: Related News
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**Health Hazard in London Flat: The Need for Compensation**
I. Introduction
Since relocating to my London flat in February this year, I have experienced unexplained health issues possibly stemming from the consumption of contaminated water. The presence of a cold water storage tank in the loft has led me to suspect that the tap water may be unfit for drinking.
II. Evidence of Contamination
Upon inspection, I discovered that the tank lacks a proper lid and contains various impurities such as loft insulation, dead insects, sediment, and mold. An independent water safety test confirmed the presence of coliform bacteria, rendering the water unsuitable for consumption.
III. Landlord’s Responsibility
As a tenant, I promptly informed my landlords of the issue and they assured me that a plumber would be sent to address the problem. However, the lack of clean and safe drinking water in the property raises concerns about the landlord’s legal obligations.
IV. Legal Implications
Under UK law, landlords are required to provide tenants with clean and safe drinking water. The substandard condition of the water supply, coupled with the detrimental impact on my health and work, may entitle me to claim compensation for damages incurred.
V. Seeking Guidance
I have sought assistance from the citizens advice bureau, but have been directed to a number unrelated to my situation. In light of this, I am uncertain about the appropriate steps to take in pursuing a claim for compensation.
VI. AI Legalese Decoder Assistance
In such a complex legal scenario, the AI Legalese Decoder can provide invaluable assistance by deciphering the relevant legal framework and identifying potential grounds for compensation. This AI tool can offer guidance on tenant rights, landlord responsibilities, and the recourse available for seeking compensation in cases of health hazards and breach of tenancy agreements.
VII. Conclusion
As a conscientious tenant, I am committed to addressing the issue of contaminated water and exploring avenues for compensation. I am determined to uphold my rights and hold the landlord accountable for their failure to provide a safe and habitable living environment. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
VIII. Visual Evidence
Attached are visual representations of the substandard conditions of the water storage tank for further reference: [Link to tank pictures].
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****** just grabbed a
I think this calls for some proper legal advice from a solicitor and not just from Reddit. This is blatantly unacceptable.
Clean fresh water is pretty much a right, you should contact Shelter for advice and also contact environmental health for your local council.
This issue should be fixed within 24 hours, otherwise I would be telling the landlord you will be moving to a hotel as fresh running water is is a requirement for a property to be habitable.
You can then claim back expenses from the landlord, you may have to sue them but a court would rule in your favour if the landlord didnt act on this pronto.
If you had to miss work due to illness then you might be able to claim compensation for lost wages.
Hi,
I have 6 years experience in water hygiene / consultancy so hopefully I can help out.
From reading a few answers a lot are incorrect. You can have a stored (tank) supplying drinking water outlets and there is no requirement to clean them, however, there are strict guidelines that have to be followed. I am going to guess your landlord has not followed these, which can land them in trouble.
Normally drinking water is supplied off the mains and deemed a low risk as the water board manages this by adding chemicals to assist with killing bacteria. As water is stored the risk increases and can allow bacteria to grow. The water board will have responsibility up until the street stop cock, after that it is the responsibility of the landlord and they have a duty of care on tenants.
As another answer has stated kitchens are normally supplied off the mains, however, as this flat could have been converted by a bad plumber they could have used the wrong pipe to make the new kitchen connection. Was the stop cock which was shut off definitely prior to the kitchen tap? Another method of testing would be to isolate the tank down pipe (if there is one) to test. You can also add food colouring into the water tank to test if the water changes colour from the kitchen sink as normally these tanks only supply bathrooms and hot water cylinders.
As the landlord has a duty of care they are required to follow guidance. Your best bet is to ask the landlord for the properties legionella risk assessment. This is a requirement that landlords must assess the ris, normally by having a company / person who is trained and competent to do so.
There are a lot of guidelines based around tanks which need to be completed such as inspecting / temperature testing. Please refer to HSG 274 part b for info regarding this. There is also guidelines from WRAS referencing tanks. If your landlord has not followed the above they are technically breaking the guidance outlined by HSE and this can be looked into.
Coliform and E.coli are dangerous bacteria that can cause harm, if you have been commonly falling ill it could be due to this. I would recommend due to the positive result to now only drink bottled water (including for brushing teeth), keep the receipts and charge the landlord. Hiring a plumber is also a grey area as if the tank needs to be cleaned and disinfect it needs to be done by someone suitably trained and competent to do so. Also the non compliances of the tank with guidelines needs to be flagged.
Tanks that supply drinking water also have stricter guidelines. The British standards 8558:2015 recommends that drinking water which passes through a cold water tank needs to be sampled chemically and microbiological at 6 monthly intervals to test its wholesomeness (although it does not state which tests are required but I would always recommend TVC Coliform and E. Coli). I would request any sampling, tank inspections and tank cleans completed at the property within the last 5 years, which should be held on record.
In regards to the pictures, it does look bad. There are a lot of non compliances with guidelines, such as the non fitting lid, amongst others. Internally there looks to be biofilm (white slimey layer on surface), which is basically bacteria that is growing. There is also fouling (black spots) on the internal walls. These are both red (high actions) as per HSG 274 part b – page 26.
There is also a risk of legionella in the tank, which I am going to guess supplies your shower. This is a harmful bacteria, info in HSG 274 part b. This is again a strike against your landlord, I would put pressure on your landlord to take additional samples and ensure they are tested at an accredited laboratory.
Personally, I would get in touch with the HSE and local council regarding the above. There are also a lot of charities and organisations set up to assist tenants.
I hope this helps!
The cold water tank is and should be for the central heating system and hot water only.
It should never be used for drinking water and it is against building regulations for it to be used as such as its not “clean”. Cold ie drinking water should be supplied directly from the mains supply.
Report it to the council they should get involved.
I would suggest caution. You would have to show the landlord knew of the water issue, or that he/she failed to address the issue reasonably promptly, to bring a successful claim. If he called out a plumber straight away, and approves the work required, then if the LL doesnÔÇÖt know about the issue, there isnÔÇÖt much more they can do.
Just be prepared for the section 21 that will follow your claim.
maybe, depends on the evidence you have or can gather. So collect evidence from the tank and taps, doctors, any work absence, maybe go so far as to get an independent company to take and analyse samples. Make a diary of what happened when.
the landlord is unlikely to have made this happen, but may have been negligent so may well be liable for your personal loss, distress, illness. Negotiate with them first rather than try the courts, something like a rent reduction or holiday, equivalent to the time period the water was contaminated? If you want to try the courts it can be a small money claim made online
the tank should be sealed full stop, it’s not just if it’s used for drinking water FFS
the other bit is, whats up with the property? no mains normally means there should be no water bill, because it’s unlikely the supply is registered with a water company.. perhaps ask the water company to come and investigate, lots of houses split in to flats in London have dodgy utility ‘arrangements’, some people have free water because one flat pays.. the shizzle that goes on is endless
cold comfort, lots of UK people, especially renters are drinking or bathing, brushing teeth with contaminated water, I asked the three plumbers who came to quote to fix our tank after it went the same way as yours, they gleefully told me of callouts to the same.. poorly covered or open tanks with dead mice, rats and all kinds of fungal friends perfuming the water coming out of the taps and showers.. some friends in the trades don’t drink water in clients houses unless they’ve seen the tank is newish and decent..
if only there were some government minimum standards, rules, regulation and enforcement placed on rental property..
I would encourage you to contact environmental health before the problem gets fixed in case they want to take any samples themselves.
Thank you for your advice ƒÖÅ my thought was first to try and negotiate with them. But I was wondering where I stood and if I am right in asking for something from them before I do it.
In regards to the water bill, its still mains water going into the tank (I hope it is anyway) I’m not sure where else the water come from to come to the tank?
Yes I’ve heard horror stories about dead animals in these tanks. I’m saddened by the fact that the landlords didn’t make it a priority to come and put a lid of the tank striaght away
I would book an app with a doctor ASAP and get some blood tests done. I’m so sorry OP
Speak to a lawyer to start a claim for compensation for the pain, suffering & loss of amenity you have suffered due to negligence by your landlord.
Be careful with the advice you have received. Any issues with water quality you should have contacted your water company; they are responsible for ensuring the water quality at the consumers tap.
IÔÇÖd also flag that home test kits can give false positives of your sample from the tap as youÔÇÖd need to disinfect the tap and run the water in accordance with the instructions sent to ensure the bacteria were in the water, not smeared over the tap from your own hands.
Have you compared the measurements against the allowable levels in the Water Supply Water Quality regulations? Presence alone does not always equal risk.
It does sound as though the use of an old unsealed header tank is the likely problem. However, the easiest short term solution is to simply use bottled water for drinking or boil the water to sterilise. Boiling is very common in other countries. For this reason I donÔÇÖt think youÔÇÖd be wise to move into alternative accommodation and claim the costs back.
Can you prove the illnesses youÔÇÖve suffered are directly related to the water tank arrangement? Very hard to do so. If you want to pursue then talk to a personal injury lawyer but expect youÔÇÖll get a S21 issued promptly.
You may contact EH but they may well just point you at your water supplier; they are very poorly resourced.
Edit: loving the downvotes from people who clearly just attend this sub to tell everyone to ÔÇ£sueÔÇØ
Document all of this with picture and videos.
On top of shelter you can also contact citizens advice. And complain to environmental health at your local council.
The environmental health team at your council will have their own lab that they use for water testing, as itÔÇÖs a requirement for properties fed by private supplies to be tested via the council every so often.
Contact them, they will probably insist on doing their own tests which should be at the landlordÔÇÖs cost, not yours.
NAL but a plumber. Some extra plumbing advice – ask the plumber what material the header tank is made of. ItÔÇÖs hard to tell from the photos but some tanks which look like the one in your photo contain asbestos, but yours may not. Also, once the work is done, the bathroom basin will likely still be fed from the tank so do not use it to clean your teeth or fill up your bedside water glass. One last technical point, the board is called an OSB board not MDF.
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I’d speak to the water company too. Water Fittings Regulations team (usually an arm of water quality). While they won’t do any work, they can inspect and list infringements. You may need permission from property owner though.
However, advice over the phone might be useful. Could try CC Water for advice too.
As for claims, lawyer.
You will tell the landlord, the landlord may issue S21 eviction notice. You need to protect against that, so go to the council and get an improvement notice which will protect a bit against revenge eviction.
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https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/revenge_eviction_if_you_ask_for_repairs
Report it to your local water company as it’s in breach of water regulations.
They should contact the landlord with an enforcement notice and possibly even prosecute.
Not a problem, I would ask the landlord for the legionella risk assessment and all records relating to this (tank inspections, testing, sampling, cleaning etc.) first, if they can not provide this it is definitely a cause for concern in which the HSE will look into and investigate. There can be heavy fines related to it as they have a duty of care on residents. Once this is found to be breached you may be within your rights to personally sue the landlord for time off and harm, but this would need to be discussed with a lawyer (HSE may be able to provide additional info and help with this).
Contact your local council as well. Take a lot of pictures and videos. Document as much as you can. Contact your water company too and your GP.