Who needs a water hygiene card?

Anyone entering a clean water site or working on the clean water network, which water companies call restricted operations. That includes water company staff, contractors and subcontractors, and self-lay organisations laying new mains. The scheme was built with all UK water companies, so one registration is recognised across them. EUSR runs the scheme.

For the detail, read our guides to the EUSR water hygiene card and national water hygiene training for site teams.

What the water hygiene course covers

The course follows the four National Water Hygiene modules:

• the importance of water
• water as a carrier of disease
• potential contamination and its consequences
• preventing contamination

Health screening before you start

EUSR asks every candidate to complete a health screening questionnaire before training. If you have had typhoid, paratyphoid, dysentery, persistent diarrhoea or vomiting, jaundice, hepatitis A or E, or a prolonged unexplained fever, now or in the last 12 months, you need written confirmation from a doctor before you can be registered.

How long the Blue Card lasts

Your registration lasts three years. To renew, you take the training and the test again. Since February 2022 every registration comes with a virtual card as standard. A printed card is optional.

You can check what a card holder is registered for, and how, in our guide to EUSR cards.

Water hygiene or legionella awareness?

The Blue Card is for work on the clean water network. If your job is looking after the water systems in buildings, such as tanks, showers and calorifiers, you need legionella awareness training instead. Many maintenance teams hold both. See all EUSR and water hygiene courses.