Cooling tower and an effective water treatment program are critical matters for any facility manager charged with the care of a facility with a cooling tower. The Preventing the growth of Legionella is vital to the preventing the spread of Legionnaires’ disease. When the bacteria is detected in the water, ignoring the issue isn’t an option.

The treatment of your cooling towers and water doesn’t have to be difficult. With the right expert advice, it can be something you don’t need to worry about at all. There are various methods to ensure the health of your water.

A program of good maintenance of your cooling towers is the best method of preventing Legionella, including a risk assessment of each of your water systems, and the development of standard operating procedures along with a written maintenance plan.

When your water testing returns results of the presence of Legionella, a water treatment remediation program is recommended to remedy the colonisation, involving either a hyperchlorination treatment.

A hyperchlorination treatment involved introducing chlorinated salts to the water system to raise its chlorine levels. This process usually takes around one or two hours, depending on the complexity of the system, and must also be carried out by a qualified professional who can monitor the chlorine concentrations and pH to ensure they’re maintained at the correct disinfection level.

In terms of warm water systems or water distribution systems, a superheat and flush is usually the most effective short-term solution in instances of an outbreak. It’s important a qualified vendor performs this process, as the duration of the flush must be monitored and documented to ensure it is carried out efficiently.

For a complete analysis and health-check of your facility’s water systems, contact HydroChem today. We have the experience and training to ensure the continuous operation of your water system and prevent legionella colonisation.