A prestigious UK boarding college required a modern, reliable way to monitor Legionella risk across multiple residential boarding houses. Many of the buildings are listed, meaning drilling, new cabling and intrusive installation work were heavily restricted.

Under HSG274, maintaining and evidencing correct hot and cold water temperatures is a legal requirement in education and residential settings. The college needed a solution that would ensure compliance, reduce long-term costs and avoid disruption during term time.

The Challenge

The estates team faced several key issues:

  • A traditional contractor-led Legionella monitoring model with ongoing licence, portal and connectivity fees.

  • No ownership of equipment under rental-based solutions.

  • Listed buildings where new containment and wiring were not permitted.

  • Complex sensor arrangements linking buildings together.

  • A preference to integrate monitoring directly into the existing BMS rather than using a separate portal.

  • A requirement to install without shutting down water systems during term time.

The college wanted to achieve consistent, auditable compliance while reducing long-term operational dependency on external service models.

The Solution

Instead of adopting another rental platform, the college implemented a LoRaWAN® based design using Sontay wireless infrastructure, installed and commissioned by Maidenhead Electrical.

Per-Building Wireless Infrastructure

Each boarding house was fitted with its own Sontay LoRaWAN gateway, providing robust in-building wireless coverage without new monitoring cabling.

RF-LW-T-C Clamp-On Temperature Sensors

Wireless clamp-on sensors were installed directly onto hot and cold water pipework. These provide accurate surface temperature readings without draining systems or modifying existing pipework.

Non-Invasive Installation

Because the devices are clamp-on and battery-powered, installation required no drilling into listed fabric and no new hard-wired I/O points.

No Term-Time Downtime

Installation was completed while systems remained live and buildings fully occupied, avoiding disruption to students and staff.

Direct BMS Integration

Temperature data passes directly into the site BMS via BACnet IP, Modbus or MQTT. Alarms, trends and graphs are displayed within the existing system, eliminating the need for a separate monitoring portal.

Sensors typically transmit at frequent intervals (for example every 15 minutes), providing continuous temperature traces and audit-ready records.

Delivery on Site

The rollout was structured to ensure a fast and low-risk deployment:

  • Existing schematics were used to pre-plan gateway and sensor locations.

  • Each device was individually labelled and cross-referenced.

  • Sensors were enrolled onto the LoRaWAN network and mapped into BMS graphics as part of a streamlined commissioning process.

Sontay provided technical presentations, on-site demonstrations and remote support throughout the project.

Maidenhead Electrical commented:

“We have found working with Sontay an excellent experience. They walked us through the process and helped us demonstrate the product to the end client, which meant we could put forward a solution we knew was the right fit for the application. Knowing we had their technical support to hand also helped to seal the deal.”

Outcomes

The project delivered clear operational and financial benefits:

Demonstrable Legionella Compliance
Continuous temperature monitoring supports HSG274 requirements and provides a clear audit trail.

Ownership Instead of Rental
The college owns the gateways and sensors outright, removing ongoing rental, portal and 4G fees.

Lower Lifecycle Cost
Ongoing costs are limited to routine maintenance and battery replacement.

Heritage Protection
Wireless connectivity and clamp-on installation avoid intrusive works in listed buildings.

No Term-Time Disruption
Systems remained live during installation, protecting day-to-day boarding operations.

BMS-Centred Workflow
Alarms and trends are managed within the existing BMS, enabling proactive on-site response.

Future-Ready Infrastructure

With the LoRaWAN backbone now in place, the college can expand into additional wireless applications using the same infrastructure, including:

  • Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring

  • Smart Radiator Thermostats (TRVs)

  • Leak detection

All devices integrate into the same BMS environment, creating a scalable platform for future energy, safety and optimisation projects.