Cooling towers provide an ideal environment for the growth and incubation of many organisms, including the Legionella bacteria.

Periods of non-use (winter lay-up) exacerbate the problem. Although a consistent biocide program can reduce the risks, it is best practice to clean a cooling tower at least twice a year.

According to The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Technical Manual, all cooling towers should be thoroughly disinfected at a minimum of twice per year.

“Cooling towers should be cleaned and disinfected at least twice a year. Normally this maintenance will be performed before initial start-up at the beginning of the cooling season and after shutdown in the fall.”

– the OSHA Technical Manual – Section III: Chapter 7

At Clarity, we not only treat your towers to prevent corrosion and harmful bacteria like Legionella, but we also can manually clean and disinfect them as well. In fact, many of our clients have this service as part of their contract. The following paragraphs describe the general cleaning process.