Berkeley Lab Aims for Giant Breakthroughs In Water Technology
Seeking water treatment solutions today means choosing among a boon of water technology advancements. There?s more demand for cutting-edge water technology now than ever before, leaving customers with a tremendous range of choice. Not all options are equal, however, in this dynamic field, where some water technology companies will peddle solutions while the answer they posit may be far from exhaustive or ideal.
Depending on your business or institution, it may be possible that the answer you?re looking for could be found strictly in the chemical realm. This can be considered an optimistic approach to inflow and outflow of water for your project. Water treatment solutions are not limited to chemical answers. There may also be an aspect to your apparatus that could be optimized further. While this sort of consideration is beyond water technology companies that regard all answers to water treatment questions as chemical, some companies provide an engineer?s eye to the apparatus at hand so that it too may be optimized for maximum production and profitability.
If you?re searching among water treatment solutions in Etobicoke or the surrounding areas, we at Ion Water solutions are here to help. With our chemical and engineering expertise, we can provide a comprehensive solution to your water technology problem. Before you settle for an answer based on ion resins or filters, homepage give us a call. We offer free surveys on site and are happy to help you optimize your apparatus so that your water treatment solution is ideal for your site and your goals.
Best Pre-treatment For Water [X-b-m-0-x] Ion Water Solutions
This past summer New York City experienced the worst Legionnaires? disease outbreak in its recorded history. In what is now being referred to as the NYC Legionella Outbreak of 2015, more than 130 people were sickened and 16 people tragically died. In an effort to keep the public safe, both the City and State of New York passed emergency legislation designed to regulate the operation and maintenance of cooling towers. Today, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) seeks to make those emergency provisions stronger and lasting; and will hold a public hearing to discuss and pass their newly proposed rules. The hearing will take place from 10AM to 12PM on January 4, 2016 at DOHMH headquarters in Long Island City. Once the hearing is over, the DOHMH will modify the rules based on the public?s feedback, if necessary, and then draft a final version. A copy is then published in the City Record and submitted to the City Council where it will be voted on to become law. This legislation will have an effect on the operation procedures of any building that operates a cooling, as well as the water treatment companies and environmental consulting firms that service them.
CURRENT NYC COOLING TOWER LAW TO COMBAT LEGIONELLA
To deal with the serious issue of legionella in cooling towers, on August 18th, 2015 in New York City, the City Council and Mayor de Blasio enacted Local Law 77 of 2015. Legionnaires? disease is said to have a case fatality rate of 5-30%. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there were between 8,000 and 18,000 cases of LD in the United States annually, and that more than 10% of cases are fatal. (Learn more here: What is legionella?)
Local Law 77 added a new Article 317 to Title 28 of the Administrative Code that required owners of cooling towers to register them with the Department of Buildings (DOB) by September 17, 2015. Towers must be inspected, tested, cleaned and disinfected in accordance with new Administrative Code ?17-194.1 and rules adopted by the DOB. Owners and operators of cooling towers must annually certify to the Department that their cooling towers have been inspected, tested, cleaned and disinfected and that a management and maintenance program has been developed and implemented in accordance with Administrative Code ?17-194.1 which includes maintaining a proper cooling tower water treatment program. Statewide, including in New York City, owners of all cooling towers must also comply with New York State Sanitary Code (SSC) Part 4, which includes registration with and reporting requirements to the New York State Department of Health.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROPOSED UPDATES TO TITLE 24
Today, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is proposing to add a new Chapter 8 (Cooling Towers) to Title 24 of the Rules of the City of New York to establish rules for maintenance of cooling towers to minimize potential contamination by Legionella bacteria to prevent outbreaks of Legionnaires? disease. This new Chapter 8 will further the work of Local Law 77, and require building owners to provide cooling tower maintenance and testing records to the NYC Department of Health.
Chapter 8?s provisions that are equivalent to the State Sanitary Code Part 4. This proposed Chapter is organized differently than the State Sanitary Code requirements; more terms are defined in this Chapter and more detailed instructions for management and maintenance are provided than those contained in SSC Part 4 to facilitate compliance with both the City and State rules and requirements.
To ratify these changes, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has issued their Notice of Public Hearing and Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Amendments to Title 24 of the Rules of the City of New York. (You can find a link to the DOHMH Notice at the end of this post.)
According to the NYC Rules website, here are the proposed changes to Title 24 of the Rules of the City of New York. It adds a new Chapter 8, which includes the following sections:
8-01 Scope and applicability: applicable to all owners and operators of buildings and other premises that are equipped with cooling towers.
8-02 Definitions: to facilitate compliance with and enforcement of these rules, more terms are defined in this Chapter than in the corresponding sections of either Administrative Code or SSC Part 4.
8-03 Maintenance program and plan: the requirements of this section exceed those of SSC Part 4, including specific routine maintenance tasks; identification of persons responsible for various functions; identifying system components; and establishing a system risk management assessment to identify areas that may create problems and lead to proliferation of Legionella bacteria.
8-04 Process control measures: this section establishes requirements for routine monitoring, to be conducted at least weekly by a ?responsible person?? under the supervision ? remote or on-site -- of the ?qualified person?? identified in SSC Part 4, and for compliance inspections, to be conducted at least every 90 days, by the qualified person. It specifies standards for maintenance, cleaning, and parts replacement; and requires installation of high efficiency drift eliminators in all new and retrofitted cooling tower systems and in existing ones, where practicable.
8-05 Water treatment: this section specifies requirements for automatic treatments, use of chemicals and biocides, and monitoring water quality characteristics/parameters, and establishes a schedule for sampling for Legionella and other bacteria including requiring additional sampling when certain events occur. This section also mandates the use of certain qualified laboratories for analysis and requires reporting levels of Legionella at a certain magnitude to the Department within 24 hours of obtaining test results; and specifies corrective actions for various levels of bacteria. Although the 2014 New York City Plumbing Code Appendix C authorizes use of rainwater or recycled water as makeup water for cooling towers, it does not require disinfection for Legionella bacteria before use. These rules prohibit such use unless owners use additional control measures approved by the Department that protect against cooling tower system contamination since the Department believes that this water may not meet public health standards and may tend to support microbial growth.
8-06 System shutdown and start-up; commissioning new cooling towers: this section sets forth requirements for pre-seasonal cleaning and disinfection and for new cooling towers being placed into use.
8-07 Records: this requires the maintenance of records of all activities and that such records be made available for immediate inspection by the Department at the premises where the cooling tower is installed.
8-08 Modification: authorizes the Commissioner to modify the application of a provision of these rules where compliance imposes an undue hardship and would not otherwise be required by law, provided that the modification does not compromise public health concerns.
8-09 Penalties: establishes a schedule of penalties for initial and subsequent violations within the limits set forth in Administrative Code ?17-194.1.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PUBLIC HEARING ON COOLING TOWER LEGISLATION
The NYC DOHMH will hold a public hearing on these proposed rules. The hearing will take place from 10AM to 12PM on January 4, 2016 at:
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Gotham Center
42-09 28th Street, 14th Floor, Room 14-43
Long Island City, NY 11101-4132
Anyone is permitted to attend the hearing and/or comment on the proposal. The DOHMH has given the following ways to communicate public commentary:
Website: You can submit comments to the Department through the NYC rules Web site at http://rules.cityofnewyork.us
Email: You can email written comments to resolutioncomments@health.nyc.gov
Mail: You can mail written comments to:
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Office of General Counsel
Attn: Svetlana Burdeynik
42-09 28th Street, 14th Floor
Long Island City, NY 11101-4132
Fax: You can fax written comments to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene at 347-396-6087.
Speaking at the hearing: Anyone who wants to comment on the proposal at the public hearing must sign up to speak. You can sign up before the hearing by calling at 347-396-6078. You can also sign up in the hearing room before or during the hearing on January 4, 2016. You can speak for up to five minutes.
GET YOUR FREE COPY OF THE FULL NOTICE
If you would like to read the full copy of the DOH?s notice, please fill out the form below for an instant link. This document fully outlines all of the sections of the newly proposed Chapter 8 including the full requirements for maintenance, operation, and ongoing water treatment of cooling towers in New York City. There is no charge for this information and it is freely available online.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene?s Notice of Public Hearing and Opportunity to Comment on Proposed Amendments to Title 24 of the Rules of the City of New York here:
About Clarity Water Technologies
Clarity Water Technologies is known throughout the east coast as an innovative industrial/commercial water treatment company and the innovators of 360 Degree Legionella Management Service. To put it simply: As New York City's Top Environmental Consultants, we make commercial HVAC and industrial process machinery last longer and run more efficiently, with less fuel and less downtime, by chemically treating the water that runs through it. Typical systems that we treat include steam boilers, chillers and cooling towers; however, we also offer advanced wastewater, glycol services, odor control and fuel treatment services. We are one of Northeast?s most trusted Legionella remediation companies and are widely accepted as one of the best consulting firms to establish best practices for the implementation of ASHRAE Standard 188 - Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems.
As environmental consultants specializing in water treatment, we know that chemistry is only one part of what makes a cooling tower system operate at peak performance. The other part of the equation is proper physical cleaning, disinfection and maintenance. Today, Clarity offers one of the most reliable and effective cooling tower disinfection services available throughout NY, NJ, CT, DE, MD and PA. Clarity is a NADCA Certified HVAC Cleaning Service Company. Our team also offers on-line cleanings, chlorine dioxide disinfection, Legionella remediation and installation of the EcoSAFE Solid Feed System?one of the most advanced water treatment systems for Cooling Towers in the world! Please contact us today for a free estimate on your next project.
New York City Water Treatment Expert and Environmental Consultant, Greg Frazier has a vast knowledge of Industrial Boiler Water Treatment and is currently the Managing Partner of Clarity Water Technologies, one of the top Environmental Consulting firms in New York. Mr. Frazier has over 19 years of Industrial Water Treatment experience and holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. Clarity Water Technologies specializes in comprehensive water treatment services. Clarity's service goes far beyond administering Cooling Tower Water Treatment chemicals - it also includes Cooling Tower Maintenance and HVAC Cleaning Services.
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New Law Passed for Cooling Tower Owners in New York State!
On July 6th, 2016, New York State adopted a new Part 4 to Title 10 of the New York Code, Rules and Regulations entitled Protection Against Legionella. Officially known as NYCRR Title 10 Part 4: Protection Against Legionella, it is now the definitive regulation governing Legionella prevention in New York. This new legislation closely mirrors NYC?s Title 24 Chapter 8 of the Rules of the City of New York and the New York State emergency legislation that it replaces regarding legionella in cooling towers for all buildings and legionella in potable water systems for healthcare facilities throughout New York State. There are however, some significant additions and changes that NY building owners should be aware of. If you are responsible for a cooling tower in the State of New York, including the five boroughs, you are probably going to want to be familiar with this new law.
Environmental consultants and water treatment companies with clients in New York State - this post is for you as well. You get a copy of the new law via the link at the end of this post.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you own or operate a qualifying facility in New York CITY you are require to comply with BOTH the New York CITY and New York STATE Legionella Laws.
Major Differences Between the 2015 NY State Emergency Cooling Tower Legislation and New 2016 NYCRR Title 10 Part 4
While much of the initial New York State emergency cooling tower legislation has remained intact, there are a few new items in the new state law that are noteworthy. Besides Section 4.2, which is an entire section devoted to potable water in healthcare facilities, there are three areas that are perhaps the most concerning to building owners.
A copy of NYCRR Title 10 Part 4 Protection Against Legionella can be downloaded in its entirety at the end of this blog post.
Here are some of our thoughts regarding the new policies:
? 4-1.5 Legionella culture analysis.
All Legionella culture analyses must be performed by a laboratory that is approved to perform such analysis by the New York State Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP).
Comment: This means that sending a legionella sample to CDC Elite Certified Lab is no longer sufficient. As of July 6th, 2016, your legionella testing samples must be analyzed by an ELAP Certified lab.
If you would like to have your lab certified to handle New York State legionella tests that meet the NYCRR Title 10 Part 4 requirements, you should visit the NY State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center website (www.wadsworth.org).
Questions on certification for Legionella culture analysis can be sent to elap@health.ny.gov
? 4-1.6 Notification.
(a) The owner of a cooling tower shall notify the local health department within 24 hours of receipt of a Legionella culture sample result that exceeds 1,000 Colony forming units (CFU) per milliliter. The local health department shall notify the state department of health with 24 hours of receipt of such a report.
(b) The owner shall notify the public of such test results in a manner determined by the local health department or, in the event that the department elects to determine the manner of public notification, by the department.
Comment: Notifying the local health department was not part of the original emergency legislation at the state level. It was and is part of the Rules of the City of New York. Subsection (a) of this section may not seem out of line when it comes to public safety, but Subsection (b) might make some building owners cringe if their legionella culture analysis comes back high.
Subsection (b) requires a building owner to notify the public of any test result that exceeds 1,000 colony forming units. If this happens, the local health department may determine the manner in which a building owner must disseminate this information; but that could include a letter to every tenant, a public notice in the local paper, or a large poster hung publicly at the building location.
There is little doubt that a high culture test result will probably cause big headaches, as well as increased liability, for building management.
? 4-1.10 Enforcement.
(a) The department or local health department may require any owner to conduct Legionella culture sampling and analysis, following a determination, based upon epidemiologic data or laboratory testing, that one or more cases of legionellosis are or may be associated with a cooling tower.
(b) An officer or employee of the department or local health department may enter onto any property to inspect a cooling tower for compliance with the requirements of this Subpart, in accordance with applicable law, and may take water samples as part of such inspections.
(c) Where an owner does not register, obtain certification, disinfect, perform or obtain culture sampling and analysis, or inspect a cooling tower within the time and manner set forth in this Subpart, the department or local health department may determine that such condition constitutes a nuisance and may take such action as authorized by law. The department or local health department may also take any other action authorized by law.
(d) A violation of any provision of this Subpart is subject to all civil and criminal penalties as provided for by law. Each day that an owner remains in violation of any provision of this Subpart shall constitute a separate and distinct violation of such provision.
Comment: This section has remained relatively unchanged; however, it does give the additional provision in subsection (a) that the local or state health department can require any owner to conduct a Legionella culture test if they determine that there is case of legionellosis associated with one of the owner?s cooling towers.
Furthermore, it is important to note that in subsection (d) the law clarifies that for each day that an owner remains in violation of any provision of the Subparts this legionella law, it shall constitute a separate and distinct violation of such provision; meaning violations and penalties can easily stack up quickly.
Other Important Things to Note about NYCRR Title 10 Part 4
The new law requires owners to obtain a (or update their existing) cooling tower maintenance program and plan for all operational cooling towers (also known as a Water Management Plan) by September 1, 2016, and prior to the startup of newly installed cooling towers. This won?t be an issue for most New York City building owners. They needed to have their plans in place by March 1st, 2016.
There is a new provision that requires cleaning and disinfection of a cooling tower that has been shut down without treatment for more than five days. Also, the term disinfection has been further defined as to mean the control of microorganisms or microbial growth. The term ?disinfection?? is also clarified to exclude the cleaning of a cooling tower through application of detergents, penetrants, brushes or other tools, high-powered water. So according to the new law, merely ?cleaning?? a cooling tower does not disinfect it. Disinfection MUST involve the use of a pesticide, and therefore, must be supervised by a person that holds a NY State 7G Commercial Pesticide Applicators License.
As I mentioned earlier, Section 4.2 of the law is entirely devoted to healthcare facilities and their requirements for legionella testing their potable water systems. This section also requires healthcare facilities to undergo an Environmental Assessment (as per ? 4-2.3) by filling out an Environmental Assessment Form (EAF). Ultimately, every healthcare facility in New York must adopt and implement a Legionella culture sampling and management plan for their potable water systems by December 1st, 2016.
What do I need to do about legionella today?
According to NYCRR Title 10 Part 4, if you are a building owner in the state of New York, you must take preventative measures to combat legionella in your cooling towers. Furthermore, if you operate a healthcare facility in the state of New York, you must also take preventative measures to address potential legionella in your potable water systems. If your property is located in New York City, the New York State cooling tower law still applies to you; however, you may already be in compliance with many of the requirements if you are adhering to the New York City Legionella Prevention Law - Chapter 8 to Title 24 of the Rules of the City of New York.
The first step is having a comprehensive water management plan for legionella. This is a requirement of the New York State Legionella Law and must be accomplished by September 1, 2016. In NYC, this was a requirement of the city?s cooling tower law that was effective by March 1st, 2016. You do not need two separate water management plans for the city and the state. One plan should satisfy the requirements of both laws.
IMPORTANT: It is now part of New Yok State and New York City law; you MUST register your cooling tower(s) on the City and State Cooling Tower Registration websites.
If you need assistance with a water management plan (cooling tower maintenance program and plan), or any other water treatment services, please contact us at Clarity Water Technologies. We help facilities all over New York stay compliant.
Thanks for reading!
PS - Download your copy of the new NY State Legionella Law here:
ABOUT CLARITY WATER TECHNOLOGIES
Clarity Water Technologies is known throughout the east coast as an innovative industrial/commercial water treatment company and the innovators of 360 Degree Legionella Management Service. To put it simply: As New York City's Top Environmental Consultants, we make commercial HVAC and industrial process machinery last longer and run more efficiently, with less fuel and less downtime, by chemically treating the water that runs through it. Typical systems that we treat include steam boilers, chillers and cooling towers; however, we also offer advanced wastewater, glycol services, odor control and fuel treatment services. We are one of Northeast?s most trusted Legionella remediation companies and are widely accepted as one of the best consulting firms to establish best practices for the implementation of ASHRAE Standard 188 - Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems.
As environmental consultants specializing in water treatment, we know that chemistry is only one part of what makes a cooling tower system operate at peak performance. The other part of the equation is proper physical cleaning, disinfection and maintenance. Today, Clarity offers one of the most reliable and effective cooling tower disinfection services available throughout NY, NJ, CT, DE, MD and PA. Clarity is a NADCA Certified HVAC Cleaning Service Company. Our team also offers on-line cleanings, chlorine dioxide disinfection, Legionella remediation and installation of the EcoSAFE Solid Feed System?one of the most advanced water treatment systems for Cooling Towers in the world! Please contact us today for a free estimate on your next project.
New York Water Treatment Professional and Environmental Consultant, Greg Frazier has a vast knowledge of Industrial Water Treatment and is currently the Managing Partner of Clarity Water Technologies, one of the top Water Treatment Companies in the United States. Mr. Frazier has over 19 years of Industrial Water Treatment experience and holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. Clarity Water Technologies specializes in comprehensive water treatment services. Clarity's service goes far beyond administering Cooling Tower Water Treatment chemicals - it also includes Cooling Tower Maintenance and HVAC Cleaning Services.
