Legionella, the bacterium that causes Legionnaires’ disease, is likely to be found in cooling towers at some time throughout its functional lifespan. A cooling tower system can’t be made to prevent the organism from entering the system completely, nor can it be made to inhibit its development and reproduction completely. However, a cooling tower legionella water treatment program can assist in lowering the risk of Legionnaires’ disease.
Legionnaires’ Disease in Cooling Towers: How to Prevent It
An ongoing difficulty is preventing legionella from developing in cooling towers. No water treatment or maintenance technology is guaranteed to completely and permanently eradicate legionella from cooling towers, even if they are properly maintained. When properly maintained using cooling tower microbial control, cooler tower systems run more efficiently and last longer.
Toxic Legionnaires’ Disease can spread through the application of a cooling tower
Legionella bacteria may thrive in cooling tower systems because they include pools of warm water exposed to the air and are ideal breeding grounds for the bacteria. Therefore, the owners or managers of a cooling tower facility are responsible for conducting a legionella risk assessment. A variety of circumstances can cause the presence of legionella bacteria. Here, we’ve outlined our top six and the procedures that are necessary to prevent them.
Risk Factors for Legionnaires’ Disease
1. Quality of the water coming out of the tap
Sludge and silt can accumulate in a holding tank, contaminated with municipal or well water. Bacteria and nutrients may contaminate surface water originating from lakes, rivers, or reservoirs from the surrounding environment.
The cooling tower system should be cleaned and disinfected twice a year, eliminating any rust, sludge, and silt from the whole tower and any holding tanks. Antimicrobial treatments before the water enter the cooling system are recommended for lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.
2. Water supply
Environmental conditions and flow velocities, as well as the temperature of the water in the cooling tower, all have an impact on the water’s treatment.
The industrial or HVAC system design allows water to circulate throughout the system at all times. The functioning of the system should be synchronized with the water’s complete chemical treatment. Keeping the system free of dirt and debris is also a good idea. If the cooling tower must be shut down for more than three days, the system as a whole should be emptied and refilled. Avoid allowing microorganisms that cause corrosion and deterioration in metal cooling tower systems to increase by ensuring that water flows freely. Cooling Tower manufacturer, Towertech’s specially designed plastic cooling towers, which have a great life expectancy and warranty, are a good option for this reason. For that reason, there are no replacements necessary.
3. Disinfection
There is a risk that germs like Legionella can quickly recolonize cooling towers, even after chemicals or other agents have been used to sterilize them.
Non-oxidizing biocides can be used as a single dosage or alternated with other biocides in the cooling tower’s antimicrobial program to prevent the buildup of oxidizing biocides in the system.
4. Biofilms
During the cooling tower water treatment, dirt, dust, and other particles can enter the water. This is mostly dependent on where the cooling tower is situated, and it may be rather large. Cooling tower legionella survival and proliferation are dependent on the existence of biofilms in water systems.
Biofilm and sediments should be penetrated using a suitable and ecologically appropriate dispersant/detergent. Ensure your cooling tower system is cleaned and maintained properly to avoid Legionnaires’ disease and keep it operating at peak efficiency.
5. The Design and the Material of the Products
Legionella and their hosts can thrive in areas of stagnant water, preventing appropriate chemical treatment of the towers.
If you want to minimize the building of sludge and deposits in your cooling tower system, you should design it easy to clean and maintain. When it comes to cooling towers, the chemicals used to clean the water often determine the conditions, but faulty plumbing designs can foster the growth of infections such as legionella. Towertech Cooling Towers’ antimicrobial technology, on the other hand, is meant to reduce the danger of Legionella in cooling towers.
6. Drifts of Spray
Even if the drift eliminator is operating normally, water droplets might escape.
Because of this, cooling tower systems should not be located near air intakes or windows that can be opened. Also, examine the drift eliminators every six months to make sure there are no holes that enable debris to flow freely. Drift eliminators with drift rates as low as 0.0005 percent of the circulating water flow should be installed for the optimum results.
Cooling tower legionella may be prevented using a variety of cutting-edge technology. Top cooling Tower manufacturer, Towertech’s antimicrobial cooling tower is one of the most effective. Incorporating antimicrobial glue inside the plastic ensures that it will not fade or wash away. Furthermore, this product is the only cooling tower material that has been proven to be effective against Legionella bacteria in a lab test.
