National Water Hygiene

About the Scheme for Learners

Watch this Video

A two-minute video explaining why a National Water Hygiene EUSR registration is important to understanding good water hygiene practices and maintaining the supply of clean, clear and safe drinking water.

About National Water Hygiene

Our National Water Hygiene (‘Blue Card’) scheme plays a vital part in ensuring the protection of public health and promoting good water hygiene practices. The scheme has been developed in collaboration with all UK water companies.

All UK water companies require individuals entering clean water sites or working on the clean water network – known as ‘Restricted Operations’ – to hold a National Water Hygiene EUSR registration.

‘Restricted Operations’ includes working on service reservoirs, water pumping stations, water treatment works, wells, springs, boreholes as well as working on the network of water mains and service pipes.

It’s not just water company employees. If you are working on a ‘Restricted Operation’ on behalf of a water company subcontractor or other organisation, such as Self-Lay Organisations (SLOs) – then you need a National Water Hygiene EUSR registration.

Once you have successfully completed your National Water Hygiene training and assessment, you will understand the vital part you play in maintaining clean and safe drinking water and protecting public health.  You will be issued with a National Water Hygiene EUSR photo ID card – which because of its colour, is also known as the ‘Blue Card’.

What’s covered?

The National Water Hygiene scheme is developed in collaboration with all UK water companies and key stakeholders from across the water industry, so you can be confident that the content covers all the knowledge and awareness of good water hygiene practices required by your employer:

There are four modules:

Module 1:            The importance of water

Module 2:            Water as a carrier of disease

Module 3:            Potential contamination and its consequences

Module 4:            Preventing contamination

Quality Assured

All Trainers delivering National Water Hygiene must be approved by us and have appropriate and recent water industry experience and competence – as well as training or assessment qualifications and experience.  Our ongoing quality assurance, through monitoring and audits, ensures high quality training and a very positive learning experience.

Health Screening

A health screening questionnaire must be completed by all individuals prior to the training and assessment. In this questionnaire, you must declare whether you have, or have had in the preceding 12 months, any of these illnesses:

• Typhoid
• Paratyphoid
• Dysentery
• Persistent diarrhoea or vomiting
• Jaundice or Hepatitis (A or E)
• Prolonged unexplained fever

If you have, or have had, any of these illnesses, then you must get written confirmation from a medical practitioner, for example your GP, that you are illness and symptom free before you can be registered for National Water Hygiene on EUSR.

EUSR Registration

Successful completion of a National Water Hygiene training programme and assessment will results in you gaining an EUSR registration which is valid for three years.

EUSR is the energy and utilities sector register for skills and training.  Available online 24/7, it is used by employers, and individuals, to verify skills and training.

Registration on EUSR reduces duplication of training for those who work at more than one location – saving you, and your employers, time and money.

Re-Registration on EUSR

When your National Water Hygiene(“Blue Card”) EUSR registration has expired, you will need to renew it by re-taking the training and assessment, either face-to-face or completing an e-Learning programme – this will depend on whether you are directly employed by a water company and also the approval status of the Trainer.

CITB Short Course

Energy & Utility Skills is a recognised Approved Training Organisation (ATO) for CITB and the UK construction industry. Our National Water Hygiene scheme is recognised by CITB for short course duration funding. If your employer wants to find out more about these grants, they should click here.

About the Scheme for Employers

About National Water Hygiene

Our National Water Hygiene (‘Blue Card’) scheme plays a vital part in ensuring the protection of public health and promoting good water hygiene practices. The scheme has been developed in collaboration with all UK water companies.

All UK water companies require individuals entering clean water sites or working on the clean water network – known as ‘Restricted Operations’ – to hold a National Water Hygiene EUSR registration. This includes employees of water company subcontractors and others such as Self-Lay Organisations (SLOs).

‘Restricted Operations’ includes working on service reservoirs, water pumping stations, water treatment works, wells, springs, boreholes as well as working on the network of water mains and service pipes.

What’s covered?

The National Water Hygiene scheme is developed in collaboration with all UK water companies and key stakeholders from across the water industry, so you can be confident employees who successfully complete the scheme will have gained all the required knowledge and awareness of good water hygiene practices:

There are four modules:

Module 1:            The importance of water

Module 2:            Water as a carrier of disease

Module 3:            Potential contamination and its consequences

Module 4:            Preventing contamination

Quality Assured Routes to Registration

There are 3 possible routes your organisation can take when planning training delivery for your employees:

• Face-to-face training
• e-Classroom training
• e-Learning

The first two options are delivered by approved trainers either in person (face-to-face training) or virtually via online software (e-Classroom). All Trainers delivering National Water Hygiene must be approved by us and have appropriate and recent water industry experience and competence – as well as training or assessment qualifications and experience.  Our ongoing quality assurance, through monitoring and audits, ensures high quality training and a very positive learning experience.

The third option, e-Learning (with associated e-Assessment), can be accessed via our XAMS e-Learning portal. The content and usability of the programme is carefully reviewed and approved by our quality assurance team. E-Learning offers a flexible and cost-effective way to achieve  EUSR registrations for your employees.

Health Screening

A health screening questionnaire must be completed by all individuals prior to the training and assessment. In this questionnaire, individuals must declare whether they have, or have had in the preceding 12 months, any of these illnesses:

• Typhoid
• Paratyphoid
• Dysentery
• Persistent diarrhoea or vomiting
• Jaundice or Hepatitis (A or E)
• Prolonged unexplained fever

If individuals have, or have had, any of these illnesses, then they must get written confirmation from a medical practitioner, for example a GP, that they are illness and symptom free before they can be registered for National Water Hygiene on EUSR.

EUSR Registration

Successful completion of a National Water Hygiene training programme and assessment results in an EUSR registration for three years.

EUSR is the energy and utilities sector register for skills and training.  Available online 24/7, it is used by employers, and individuals, to verify skills and training.

Registration on EUSR reduces duplication of training for those who work at more than one location – saving your organsiation time and money.

Re-Registration on EUSR

When a National Water Hygiene (“Blue Card”) EUSR registration has expired, learners will need to renew it by re-taking the training and assessment, either face-to-face or completing an e-Learning programme – this will depend on whether the learner is directly employed by a water company and also the approval status of the Trainer.

CITB Short Course

Energy & Utility Skills is a recognised Approved Training Organisation (ATO) for CITB and the UK construction industry. Our National Water Hygiene scheme is recognised by CITB for short course duration funding. If you are a Levy paying employer, to find out more about these grants, click here.

Drinking Water Inspectorate

Milo Purcell, Deputy Chief Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate has stated  “The Drinking Water Inspectorate welcomes this update to the Scheme, which covers a core competency for all those involved in the provision of water supply to the consumer’s tap. Participation in the Scheme helps promote high standards of hygiene and safety, ensuring that drinking water remains clean and safe, and that consumers are protected.”

“The updated National Water Hygiene Scheme is founded on the best practice enshrined in the water industry’s Principles of Water Supply Hygiene. It provides personnel in the sector with knowledge and awareness of the public health implications of their roles and enables water companies and contractors working on water supply systems to demonstrate their commitment to the promotion of a public health culture in delivery of routine activities.”