Are you a food service establishment that was forced to close due to Government imposed COVID-19 restrictions? You may have recently re-opened, or are considering re-opening shortly. Understandably, you will be looking to re-open as soon as possible and with the minimum of fuss.

That is why we have prepared some quick tips for you to follow to ensure the water serving your premises is clean and safe for employees and customers on re-opening.

The COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic escalated remarkably quickly and is unprecedented in modern times. As a result, businesses were closed at relatively short notice and you may have left your business in haste. While you have been absent from your premises, harmful bacteria could have formed in your water system, and drains could have become blocked over time. Here is a handy checklist of what you can do to ensure you maintain the highest standards of hygiene and water quality.

Ensure the cleanliness of your equipment

Clean your equipment according to the manufacturer's grease management instructions. Any excess grease left in the system could have hardened since you closed your premises, encouraging the growth of bacteria, bad odours, blockages, and pests.

Examine drains for blockages

It is possible that since you have left your premises, kitchen drains could have dried up, causing waste to stick to the pipes and causing potentially damaging blockages. To remedy this, you should flush your drains with water and check your sink for blockages that could have formed over the lockdown period. And remember, don’t dispose of any fats, oil and grease down sinks or drains if you want to avoid a catastrophic fatberg. More information on fatbergs can be found in our blog ‘The war on FOG – how your business can prevent fatbergs’

Check toilets are still flushing

Before opening your doors to the public, flush your customer toilets several times to check that the system is still flowing and is free of obstructions. By only flush the 3Ps – poo, pee and toilet paper you will help to keep toilets flushing efficiently.

Think what you put down the sink

Campaigns, such as #ThinkSink, have been created to help the public and businesses understand the importance of disposing of FOG in the right way. Food scraps and cooled fats should be collected and disposed of into bins or preferably food waste recycling containers. A sink strainer can help prevent food scraps from going down the sink and many sewage companies provide fat traps free of charge. When food outlets finally reopen to the public for the first time, the sudden increase in flow could lead to blockages in the sewer. You can help by using sink strainers and training staff members to avoid putting any kitchen and food waste down the drain.