HydroChem Group
Prioritising Safe Water for Over Three Decades

In 1986, Bill Abbott returned to the UK from his work in the Middle East—a region where water treatment facilities were always a priority. Decades’ worth of progressive water reuse technology has been vital for nations to thrive in one of the most naturally arid areas on the planet. In his time there, Bill a qualified chemist garnered experience working with water treatment technology that ranged from chemical production to cleaning and disinfection, and microbiological testing.

He brought that knowledge to the shores of the UK and founded the HydroChem Group—an organization that brought a level of technology and expertise previously unseen for an independent company in the water treatment industry. Today, HydroChem Group is made up of several divisions Safe Water, Safe Clean, Safe Tower, Safe Building, and manufactures bespoke disinfection chemicals for water treatment facilities and allied firms all over the country and beyond. However, the company does not limit its solutions and services to only cater to the water treatment industry. Take its product SteriChelle® as an example. It is a multi-purpose solution that functions as a disinfectant, sanitizer, and deodorizer. SteriChelle® is an industry-agnostic product with uses that range from personal sanitizers to disinfecting hospitals and healthcare facilities against MRSA, SARS, and the Corona Virus, to name a few.

Years of experience have made the HydroChem team experts in monitoring and testing water systems, Legionella and bacterial sampling, water risk management for leisure facilities, and assessing the integrity of cooling towers. Not only does HydroChem provide a range of tailored chemicals and dosing equipment as per the client’s need, but these disinfection specialists also change their operations to best match the customer’s preferences. “One portion of our customer base chooses to continually run water testing and treatment operations in their facilities. The others choose to stop testing during the lockdown, and instead do all the cleaning once business returns to full swing,” says Dr. Craig A Russell, Group Managing Director.

Although HydroChem can work well in either scenario, Dr. Russell goes on to state that the former mode of operation is usually more cost-effective for the client. Such a flexible mode of operation from HydroChem has been especially crucial for leisure facilities—arguably the worst affected industry currently—to function seamlessly. Hotels, spas, and recreational water facilities cannot afford to turn down customers when their water storage is being tested and chemically treated. HydroChem’s workaround to this obstacle is to utilize chemicals that are safe for consumption at low doses. Over extended periods, these will halt the growth of bacteria and microbes in the water supply, while remaining harmless for consumption. The company sends water samples to third-party laboratories for an independent result before it commences treatments.

Assessments from these impartial UKAS labs ensure that HydroChem can offer the most cost-effective solution appropriate to the problem. The company documents interactions with clients to obtain a clear overview of their requirements and their understanding of Legionella regulations. The HydroChem online asset management portal gives us automatic alerts of results and actions to be taken, to each client to ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines. Online or hard copy logs are prepared and given to each site as records of all actions that have been taken to meet regulatory guidelines.

“A HydroChem Legionella Risk Assessment identifies the level of risk within a client’s facility, which is the first step of any water hygiene control.” On helping its customers be compliant with these regulations, Dr. Russell cites a case study where HydroChem helped a client who used water from a ground source. They consistently faced biofilm accumulation and Legionella issues in their facility. HydroChem set up a small cleaning tank near the source such that the water was always chemically treated before it entered the client’s facility. The client’s water supply has been free of harmful microbial activity, three years after the plant’s implementation. “Although it was a simple solution, it was an uncommon one within the industry,” adds Dr. Russell.

Only a few weeks ago, HydoChem celebrated its 33rd successful year in helping create safe-to-use water. The company has over 50 employees across the mainland and is a partner to several tier-one COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) sites. Over the next year, the organization aims to double its workforce and hire more water hygiene and chemical engineers to improve efficiency and lower costs for end-users. Although the pandemic’s outbreak caught almost everyone off-guard, HydroChem’s services can equip clients with the tools they require to turn the tide against the disease.