Planning and renovating sanitary facilities in nursery schools

Nursery schools are more than just childcare facilities: they are places where kids play, learn and gain experience that is instrumental for their development. A safe and hygienic environment – especially in the sanitary facilities – is therefore a top priority. Yet nursery schools face a number of key challenges: outdated facilities, a lack of anti-scalding protection or inadequate drinking water hygiene can all pose hazards to children’s health. With its durable, efficient and hygienic fittings, plus the SWS Water Management System, SCHELL offers the perfect solution for an efficient and future-proof renovation project.

Sanitary facilities in nursery schools are in constant use, so the requirements for planning, fit-out and operation are especially demanding. Alongside hygiene and safety, functionality and ease of maintenance also play an important role here. Key requirements are presented below. 

User safety: Children may often fail to understand just how dangerous very hot water can be. Compared with adults, their skin is also far more sensitive. Effective protection against burns and scalding must therefore be provided to avoid injuring these young users. 

User hygiene: High standards of hygiene are essential to minimise the risk of infection and ensure the safe use of these facilities. 

Easy to clean and low-maintenance: Thorough cleaning must be quick and simple to achieve: this ensures high standards of hygiene over the long term. 

Drinking water hygiene: Nursery schools often experience long periods of downtime, such as at the weekends or during holidays. As water starts to stagnate in the piping, this can promote the excessive growth of Legionella. 

Sustainability: The economical use of water and energy is also an all-important topic for nursery schools – which makes sustainable and water-saving solutions increasingly relevant. 

Wash basins: Wash basins in nursery schools must accommodate the needs of their users: sinks not only need to be positioned lower down but must also be very easy to use and – most importantly – provide reliable temperature limitation. 

WC facilities: The installation height of WCs and operating panels must also be adjusted for use by young children. Robust and hygienic materials are also essential, plus a design that lets kids use WCs without adult supervision. 

Showers: Although nursery schools may not always provide shower facilities, these may be included as part of a nappy changing area. Where installed, showers must always provide appropriate anti-scalding and burn protection. 

Kitchens: Nursery school kitchens must be equipped with taps that are especially hygienic and durable.

Technical/utility rooms: Utility and technical rooms also need various kinds of fittings: these must continue to work reliably even if they are used only rarely. 

Whether old facilities are being modernised or new sanitary facilities are planned, the goal is always to achieve a safe, hygienic and functional installation. Clear requirements apply here for both planning and operations.

To protect children’s health, the sanitary equipment installed must offer reliable protection against scald injuries and burns. Technical codes require specific action to be taken here. DVGW W 551 states that draw-off taps with individual locks must be used and with anti-scalding protection provided as necessary. DIN 806-2 recommends the use of thermostatic mixing valves with a maximum temperature of 43 °C. Steps should also be taken to eliminate the risk of burns from excessively hot surfaces. 

Important: Go here to find out more about standards, legal duties and solutions for anti-scalding protection. 

A basic requirement for maintaining drinking water quality – keep the water moving! Nursery schools often experience periods of downtime – such as at the weekends or during holidays. 

As a result, water starts to stagnate in the drinking water installation piping – and this can favour the growth of harmful Legionella bacteria. As a preventive measure, Part 1 of the German VDI 6023 technical code requires a full exchange of water across all tapping points at least every 72 hours. Building operators are required by law to ensure specified normal operation and keep full records of the same. 

Tip: Part 6 of VDI 6000, ‘Sanitary engineering - Sanitary facilities - Fundamental requirements’ offers planners and architects an overview of the key factors to keep in mind for planning, as well as the requirements for sanitary facility fit-outs in kindergartens, children’s daycare facilities and schools. 

For Pseudomonas aeruginosa: 
Alongside the facilities used in the healthcare sector, DVGW W 551-4 (A) also categorises day nurseries as ‘priority public facilities’. Potable water cold (PWC) should be tested for Pseudomonas aeruginosa at least once a year. These annual intervals start immediately after the drinking water installation is commissioned or following major renovations to the system.

For Legionella spp.
Regulations also prescribe annual testing for Legionella (section 31 of the German Drinking Water Regulation, TrinkwV) in nursery schools that meet the criteria as listed below:

• Drinking water heater storage or primary instantaneous water heater with a capacity of more than 400 l 
• More than 3 l of drinking water present in the piping between the drinking water heater outlet and the tapping point (measurement excludes the water contained in the circulation line)
• Showers or other facilities that have the ability to aerosolise drinking water

The cistern modules in SCHELL’s MONTUS series are especially suitable for use in toilet facilities. MONTUS Flow can be combined with any SCHELL MONTUS operating panel. Such as the MONTUS FIELD H, for example, whose contactless operating panel is triggered by an infrared sensor and therefore ensures straightforward, hygienic operation. At the same time, these robust modules offer effective protection against vandalism and can also be networked with the SWS Water Management System for automated stagnation flushes to maintain drinking water quality. 

The WALIS E wash basin tap from SCHELL is the perfect solution for installation on small utility sinks that tend to be used only occasionally for cleaning work. This tap is an ideal choice for the cold water and mixed water tapping points that are often found in rarely used basement or storage areas. The WALIS E needs no additional supply line or waste trap and therefore takes up very little space. 

Important: Electronic contactless fittings from SCHELL can perform stagnation flushes automatically, so as to maintain drinking water quality and uphold specified normal operation. These fittings can also be networked with the SWS Water Management System for a more comprehensive, user-friendly and efficient approach to water management.