Legionella Found on Bibby Stockholm: What the Case Shows About Water Testing

The discovery of Legionella aboard the Bibby Stockholm in August 2023 became one of the UK's most widely reported water safety incidents.

Environmental water samples from the vessel detected levels of Legionella bacteria that required further investigation.

The Home Office subsequently announced that the 39 asylum seekers who had arrived on the vessel would be temporarily disembarked while further assessments were carried out.

No individuals on board had presented with symptoms of Legionnaires disease at the time.

The incident demonstrates why water safety needs to be considered before buildings or facilities are occupied, particularly where water systems have experienced periods of low use or where occupancy patterns change.

What happened afterwards?

Further health, fire and water checks were undertaken before people began returning to the vessel in October 2023.

A later government inspection report also considered lessons from the incident and highlighted the importance of proactively addressing health and safety and ensuring adequate water management procedures are in place.

What can businesses and property managers learn?

Legionella cannot be identified simply by looking at water.

Effective water safety management starts with understanding the water system, assessing the risks and implementing appropriate controls.

Where Legionella sampling is required, laboratory testing can provide evidence about the microbiological condition of the water at the point and time sampled.

This can be particularly relevant following periods of low occupancy, changes in building use, water system concerns or as part of an established water safety programme.

UK Legionella water testing

Aqua Samples makes professional water testing more accessible.

Our self-sampling Legionella testing kits allow businesses, landlords and property managers to collect their own water samples before returning them for analysis by a UKAS-accredited laboratory.

Want to check your water? Explore Aqua Samples' Legionella water testing kits and order online.