Lack of a water plan – Bibbyline Stockholm’s first big mistake?
Did Legionella signal disaster for the Bibbyline Stockholm from the beginning of its short life? We look at the short history of the barge as an asylum seeker facility and examine how the lack of a robust water plan helped to shorten its brief career.
There was opposition to using Bibbyline Stockholm as accommodation for male asylum seekers from the outset, but the public was undoubtedly shocked to learn of the discovery of Legionella bacteria onboard within a few days of its initial occupation. No sooner had its somewhat reluctant residents embarked, than they had to be taken off again while remedial works were carried out to clean and sanitise the water system.
The first eight residents were taken on board on 8th August 2023, and more were to follow in the following days. Less than a week later, when the first disaster hit, there were 39 asylum seekers onboard.
On 12th August 2023, just 5 days into its purpose, as accommodation for asylum seekers waiting for the legal process to decide their eventual fate, the 39 residents then on board had to be disembarked when the presence of Legionella bacteria was discovered.
As the barge was designed to accommodate up to 500 residents, it seems obvious to us that there must have been large areas of the floating facility’s water system that were not frequently in use. Clearly there should have been a water plan in place to ensure that L8 Legionella prevention protocols were in place.
We know that the fairly elderly Stockholm barge had not been occupied for some time before being pressed into service for its new purpose and was refurbished specifically for its new use. The water system should, therefore, have been completely cleansed and disinfected before being recommissioned as if it was a new system. There should also have been thorough testing for Legionella, before any new residents were permitted to board.
Although the ambient temperature in Portsmouth on the first day of embarkation reached no more than 18°C; in the week preceding, temperatures had ranged between 15°C and 22°C. By 10th August 2023, the temperature had risen to 25°C. Barges and other watercraft often have water tanks to provide desalinated water, and it is essential that these are sufficiently screened to protect them from solar gain. In warm weather, inadequately shielded tanks containing tepid, static water provide ideal conditions for the proliferation of Legionella bacteria.
Despite reassurances from the Home Office that the barge would be ready for reoccupation within a week, it was reported by The Guardian newspaper that, on 15th August 2023, the water system was tested again, and Legionella pneumophila Serogroup 1 – the most serious strain – was discovered. This was gleaned from data from Dorset Council, obtained by The Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act.
In warm summer weather, with significant under-occupation of the barge, a robust and comprehensive water plan should have been in place from the outset. It seems clear that it was not, and that there was a general lack of compliance with the Approved Code of Practice L8.
Eventually, test results clear of Legionella were obtained, but confidence in the facility had already been lost. In the following months, reports of a tragic, self-inflicted death on board, and conditions that were less than optimal, were reported. In the summer of 2024, in the first few days after taking office, the new Labour Government announced plans to decommission the Stockholm barge as accommodation for asylum seekers.
The contract for the Bibbyline Stockholm is due to expire in January 2025 and will not be renewed. In October, many asylum seekers were moved off the barge and sent to multiple locations across the UK. The last few are due to leave by the end of November 2024. It is to be hoped that, as it becomes increasingly less populated, a robust water plan and L8 compliance will keep the vessel Legionella free for its last few remaining occupants.
