Last summer, Andrew Twigg, Head of Operations at Aqualytix – specialists in water treatment and Legionella control – returned to Harper Adams University. This was the same university where Andrew started his career in the water hygiene industry over 15 years ago.
Today, Andrew and his team manage over 2,000 assets onsite to prevent and control the spread of legionella bacteria in the university’s water systems. Those assets include taps, showerheads, cold water storage tanks, thermostatic mixing valves, a swimming pool, and more – all of which 6,000 staff and students use.
However, when Aqualytix won the contract in July 2023, Andrew remembered there weren’t just humans onsite!
He explains: “Harper Adams University is in rural Shropshire. With 494 hectares of farmland onsite, it specialises in subjects like food production and animal health. This means it’s not uncommon to see and hear livestock when we’re doing our work.
“In fact, one of the water assets we manage is a hydrotherapy pool used by veterinary staff and students to deliver physiotherapy services to animals.”
Adapting to student life again
Used to working in academic environments, the Aqualytix team is at the top of the class in adapting to student life.
Andrew says: “Working on campus is very different to other settings we work in. But it’s an environment we have lots of experience in.“It involves making sure we blend seamlessly into the background so we’re not disrupting a heavily timetabled environment. At the same time, we must be flexible and work around lecture times and, of course, students sleeping in!
“Regarding livestock, there are also biosecurity rules we must follow to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful bacteria and diseases around farm animals. For example, we clean and disinfect our footwear when entering or leaving areas with livestock.”
Using technology to make a difference
Unlike Andrew’s former days at the university, the piles of paper compliance logbooks have been replaced by clever software accessed via a cloud-based portal.
Adam Gallagher, Estates Maintenance Services Manager at Harper Adams University, said: “One of the things I’m most impressed by is the technology Aqualytix has given us, which allows me to view the compliance status of every single water system we have onsite from one device. Having that level of information at my fingertips provides peace of mind, knowing that we’re always on top of water hygiene compliance.”
“Another improvement they’re making is standardising some of our water assets across the estate. This will make fixing or replacing things like thermostatic mixing valves much simpler and quicker.
“The vision at Harper Adams is to equip our students to make a difference when they leave us. I think Aqualytix embodies this vision by making a difference in managing water hygiene and keeping us compliant and safe.”
For more information about water treatment, legionella management services, water hygiene training, water sampling, risk assessments, or remedial work, please visit https://www.stservices.co.uk/water-hygiene/
