Information for businesses affected by the water outage
Guidance for Food Businesses
If you have not got a running water supply, you must close your food business until the water supply has returned. If you are in an area with intermittent supply you can open only when your water is in supply and must close as it goes off.
Operating a food business without a supply of potable water is unacceptable due to the risk of spreading food poisoning bacteria and viruses from person to person as customers and employees cannot wash their hands properly and are then handling open food.
Under food hygiene legislation if your business is trading you must have a supply of potable running water. You must comply with this legislation at all times.
We understand that this has an impact on your business and we thank you for complying with the legislation to safeguard public health.
Please see below frequently asked questions that have arisen from previous incidents that we hope are helpful.
I don’t have any water:
Q: Can I run my food business if I don’t have any running water?
A: No, you must close your food business until you have a supply of potable running water.
Q What happens if I refuse to close my food business?
A: You are breaking food safety law, and enforcement action may be taken against you, this may be in the form of a written warning, legal notice or prosecution. The action we take will depend on the risk your business poses. N.B Should your business be implicated in a food poisoning outbreak your insurance company may not pay out.
Q Why is it important to close my food business?
A: Operating a food business without a supply of potable water is unacceptable due to the risk of spreading food poisoning bacteria and viruses from person to person as customers and employees cannot wash their hands properly and are then handling open food.
Q We have got sanitising gel is this ok?
A: Sanitising gel is NOT an acceptable alternative as it only works on clean hands.
Q: I have lots of bottled water can I just use that?
A: No, you are breaking the law, you must have a supply of potable running water.
Business Interruption Insurance
If you have Business Interruption Insurance Cover, it may be possible to make a claim for any financial losses due to being unable to carry out your business. This could cover both lost income for the period you were unable to trade, as well as the increased costs you may incur to keep your business open. However, this will depend on the details of your policy.
We recommend businesses affected by the water outage contact their insurance company as soon as possible to check their level of cover.
The document 'A basic introduction to documentation to support a Business Interruption Claim' (from the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters website) provides advice on the kind of documentation that you are likely to be required to provide if you wish to make a claim on your business interruption insurance. Please note that this is not a document prepared by the Council.
Additional support
If you need additional support, please contact us at economicdevelopment@maidstone.gov.uk or visit businessinmaidstone.co.uk/
In addition, the following business associations may be able to offer support and guidance for your business: