Protection Against Legionella: Cooling Tower Requirements

Cooling Towers and Legionella Protection
Subpart 4-1 of the NYS Sanitary Code was passed in July 2016 requiring all cooling tower owners and/or operators in NY State to sample, maintain, register, disinfect, and notify the local health department and the public of any elevated levels of legionella.

Under the Legionella regulation, the term “cooling tower” means a cooling tower, evaporative condenser or fluid cooler that is part of a recirculated water system incorporated into a building’s cooling, industrial process, refrigeration, or energy production system. Most cooling towers are used for air conditioning and are shut down in the fall and opened again in the spring.

Legionnaires’ disease is caused by a type of bacteria known as Legionella. The Legionella bacteria are found naturally in the environment, usually in water. The bacteria grow best in warm water, like the kind found in hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large plumbing systems, and decorative fountains that are not properly maintained. People get Legionnaires’ disease when they breathe in a mist or vapor containing the bacteria. The bacteria are not spread from one person to another person. A person diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease is not a threat to others who share office space or other areas with him or her.

Most healthy individuals do not become infected with Legionella bacteria after exposure. People at higher risk of getting sick are those 50 years of age or older, current or former smokers, those with a chronic lung disease (like COPD or emphysema), those with a weak immune system from diseases like cancer, diabetes, or kidney failure, and people who take drugs that suppress (weaken) the immune system (like after a transplant operation or chemotherapy).

Legionnaires’ disease can have symptoms similar to pneumonia (lung infection), therefore it can be hard to diagnose at first. Signs of Legionnaires’ disease can include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle aches, and headaches. These symptoms usually begin 2 to 10 days after being exposed to the bacteria.

Subpart 4-1 of the NYS Sanitary Code was passed in July 2016 requiring all cooling tower owners and/or operators in NY State to sample, maintain, register, disinfect, and notify the local health department and the public of any elevated levels of legionella.

Questions about Legionella and Cooling Towers can be answered by calling the Saratoga County Department of Health at (518) 584-7460 or sending an Email to us.

For more information, please see the following resources:
Register a Cooling Tower & Submit Reports

Cooling Tower Registry How-to-Guide

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