United States.
Legionella, the bacterium that causes life-threatening Legionnaires' disease, and other strains of pathogens that can be housed by cooling towers, can now be substantially reduced with the development of a new antimicrobial cooling tower.
Delta Cooling Towers, which manufactures high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic cooling towers, now offers a line of towers built with antimicrobial resin that is fully composed of the base cooling tower material. This antimicrobial resin contains additives that work at the cellular level to continuously disrupt and prevent the uncontrolled growth of microorganisms and biofilm within the cooling tower. Efficacy tests were conducted by the Special Pathogen Laboratory.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in many cases of Legionellosis outbreaks, Legionella incubates and spreads through the building's water systems, including cooling towers that are widely used in commercial HVAC systems and industrial process cooling. This has recently led to the publication of the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015, Legionellosis: Risk Management for the Construction of Water Systems.
John Flaherty, president of Delta Cooling Towers, noted that the aforementioned standard and requirements do not significantly detail the maintenance practices needed to keep water systems, such as cooling towers, healthy. He said that competent maintenance; consistent, high-quality water treatment; and accurate monitoring are essential to that effort.
