Article | How to prevent contaminated pipes in restaurants

Restaurants are widely considered a high risk area for potential health issues.  When thinking about food safety in such establishments we tend to think of factors such as handwashing, cross contamination by food handling, cooking temperatures etc. Water and contaminated pipes is very rarely considered as playing a part in this mix.

There is no restaurant that does not rely on water within the majority of its basic operations. And in recent years there have been many reports of health related outbreaks involving water. For example,  the case of a decorative fountain in a lobby of a restaurant which was identified as the source of a Legionellosis outbreak which resulted in a fatality. Restaurant owners need to carefully consider the water used in their restaurant as an important component contributing to food safety assurance:

• Water used as a food ingredient or coming into contact with food for cleaning, heating, steaming, cooling must be of drinking quality.
• Ice that comes into contact with food or drink, must be made with potable water and must be produced, handled and stored hygienically.
• Steam that comes into contact with food must not contain any contaminants that could affect food safety.
• Water used for non-food purposes e.g. refrigeration, fire control, heating etc., must be kept in isolated systems so that it does not contaminate food, drink, surfaces or equipment within the restaurant.

However, even though the water drawn from source may meet regulatory requirements in terms of bacterial and chemical quality, if the pipes transporting/storing this water within the restaurant are substandard and/or contaminated, water safety and quality can be seriously affected. Serious health risks can be incurred such as waterborne disease organisms being introduced into the potable water supply; contamination altering the chemical quality of the water for culinary purposes and also affecting odour and taste; the possibility of pressure maintenance problems and the inability to meet supply during periods of peak demand, both of which can dramatically affect production and compromise sanitation.

WHAT MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN TO PREVENT CONTAMINATED PIPES IN RESTAURANTS?

Effective sanitary operations are essential for restaurants to prevent contaminated pipes so ensuring the health and safety of both employees and customers.

NCH has been helping businesses globally for over 100 years to keep their water clean and prevent contamination. Our products and services are renowned as the very best on the market. This is due to our significant investment in research and development to provide expert solutions.

The NCH Facilities team of experts specialise in providing high risk areas, such as restaurants, with tailor made eco friendly water treatment solutions to help maintain safe and clean piping and water systems.  Firstly, we visit your restaurant to carry out a professional survey of your premises to check whether the water piping system is subject to microbial growth or corrosion, which can also cause water contamination and spoilage.

Unlike many of our competitors, NCH places particular emphasis on thoroughly inspecting pipework. We feel that this is essential to avoid future problems and save your restaurant money.

Ensuring that you are using the correct pre-treatment and application equipment for the contamination issue is as vital as the actual water treatment chemicals that are used. Our pre-treatment solutions are easy to apply and require minimal maintenance. They efficiently remove contaminants and pollutants, helping to prevent the build-up of harmful microbes.

If you would prefer an expert team to tackle treatment of your contaminated pipework, NCH Asia also offer a ‘Cleaning & Services’ programme specifically for these type of projects. Our trained team of highly experienced technicians will take care of your water treatment,  speciality cleaning or/and any reconditioning required. We work hard to ensure that the water treatments that we provide to the pipes in your restaurant eliminate contamination, reduce ongoing maintenance costs and the inconvenience and loss caused by unnecessary downtime in your business through inefficient or faulty equipment. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements.