How An Authorising Engineer (Water) Ensures Water Systems Stay Safe
In this article the water safety experts at Legionella Control International review the role of the authorising engineer (water) to highlight how it can help to ensure your building water systems remain safe and compliant with the law.
The article explains what an authorising engineer is and why the appointment should be external to your organisation. It then goes on to outline what they do, and how they can support your organisation overseeing regulatory compliance, provide water safety expertise, and implement measures to mitigate water-related hazards to ensure your water systems remain safe to use.
A version of this story about how an authorising engineer (water) can ensure your water systems remain safe first appeared in Legionella Control International’s newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up here.
What is an authorising engineer (water)?
An authorising engineer (Water) is an independent specialist responsible for managing engineered water systems to ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and operational effectiveness, with a focus on controlling waterborne pathogens such as Legionella. Their role is critical in large scale or complex settings such as healthcare, education, commercial, industrial and public sector facilities, where waterborne diseases pose significant risks. They oversee compliance, provide expertise, and implement measures to mitigate water-related hazards.
More generally, an authorising engineer (water) or AE plays an essential role in your approach to water safety management. It makes sense that you should be able to rely on and trust this individual to fill any gaps in your knowledge of water safety. They should be a member of the Water Safety Group – a group created to handle all aspects of water safety within your organisation.
An authorising engineer should be independent of your organisation
A key aspect of the AE role is that they are independent of your organisation. Typically, the Water Safety Group or WSG should comprise many individuals, each chosen for their expertise and knowledge in some aspect of the business. For example, in a healthcare setting, there may be individuals from separate departments who can identify specific risks within their own departments.
The authorising engineer (water) can provide independent advice to support the role of the Water Safety Group. Since they specialise in water safety, they will be up to date with all relevant legislation and standards. It would be unusual for someone within the organisation to have this level of knowledge.
The AE (Water) role should be supportive at all times
Some people may feel scrutinised by an authorising engineer (water), but it’s important to view their role as supportive in lots of ways. It would be easy for a Water Safety Group to fail in their duties to maintain a safe water system, simply by being unaware of a specific action or rule they must follow. By introducing an authorising engineer (water), this risk is removed.
As such, the individual is there to help – to provide their range of experience and knowledge so that the water systems will perform safely, and all risks will be managed or removed. They can assess how well the water systems perform, identifying any potential issues so that they may be resolved.
It’s also important that the various members of the WSG are competent to perform their own assigned roles within the group. This is something the authorising engineer (water) can help with, since they’ll know what to look for. If someone isn’t competent, they can advise on the relevant training to undertake to reach the required standard.
What does an authorising engineer (water) do?
You can see how the independent nature of the AE (water) role is key here. They do not have any political loyalties to the organisation – instead, their role is to ensure safe water systems are achieved and the WSG is operating well and undertaking all the tasks required of it. They will also typically complete an annual Water Safety Audit. This is best done by someone outside the organisation to ensure an independent and objective approach, and an authorising engineer (water) will be able to provide the wealth of their expertise to ensure a professional outcome.
It’s worth mentioning that the authorising engineer (water) will be able to answer any questions directed at them by the group, too. Anyone in this role can reveal scenarios they have experienced – situations that modern organisations can learn from.
The AE (Water) is there to support you on water safety matters
For some, the idea of an external professional reviewing their progress and procedures might seem like coming under the spotlight. However, the authorising engineer (water) should always be seen as a supportive individual. They can help ensure the Water Safety Plan is up to scratch and that nothing is missed. They will also highlight any changes to legislation that might require a different approach to be made.
If you’re viewing the authorising engineer (water) as someone to be feared, try changing your view. Let’s say you have multiple sites you’re managing, and one continually has issues keeping waterborne bacteria under control. You might feel as if you’ll be penalised if the AE (water) assesses your progress and spots these issues.
However, it is often far better for them to identify the issues than someone from one of the safety regulators like the Health and Safety Executive, following an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. The AE (water) is there to help you – to support the Water Safety Plan and to provide insight and advice to all members of the Water Safety Group when required. If they identify a problem, they can help you resolve it. They will understand what to look for and how to rectify any issues that may be discovered.
In many cases, human error can have a profound effect on the safety of a water system of any size. A Legionella risk assessment may be incorrectly completed or not fully completed. A dead leg of pipework might be missed. The hot or cold water temperatures may not be in the correct range, allowing the multiplication of bacteria within the system. There are many things that can easily be missed if someone of limited knowledge undertakes a role within the WSG that they do not have proper training for.
The authorising engineer (water) is there to help. This can mean giving advice that is sometimes not well received by the Water Safety Group. For example, one or more individuals may not be fit for their roles, and require further training. Extensive work may be required to bring the water systems up to a standard where safety standards can be more easily met.
The authorising engineer (water) – water safety expertise on-tap!
You can see how it’s possible to learn much from an authorising engineer (water), and to gain plenty of knowledge and insight from them. Viewing this external member of the WSG with suspicion might be the initial stance. However, it’s essential to view them as a supportive individual. Even if they highlight extensive issues with the water safety risk assessment, the water system or other aspects of the WSG, it’s important to take everything on board. If not, it could lead to a potentially dangerous situation where bacteria in the system develops out of control.
The AE (water) must fulfil their role and ensure all steps are taken to achieve a safe hot and cold water system within an organisation. Short-term changes can help avoid long-term problems too – another reason why an authorising engineer (water) can be one of the most reliable and powerful members of the WSG. Powerful, yes, and they can bring issues to light that may cause some upheaval, yet that is what they are there for – to protect the organisation from potential outbreaks.
World leading water safety specialists
The water safety specialists at Legionella Control International help business owners and those responsible for the control of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens manage their workplace risks to maintain regulatory compliance and keep people safe.
We are experienced water safety specialists and deliver full range of services including independent compliance auditing and authorising engineer (water) solutions. We also offer risk assessments, water quality testing, City & Guilds training and other health and safety risk management services that help keep businesses compliant with the law and people safe.
If you would like to speak with one of our water safety specialists about your water management processes call us today on 0330 223 36 86 or contact us here …
