On August 6th, 2015, with the support of Mayor Bill de Blasio, the New York City Department of Health Commissioner, Mary Bassett, MD, issued a city-wide order for all cooling tower owners/operators to clean and disinfect their cooling towers within 14 days. Some of our clients have criticized that the ORDER OF THE COMMISSIONER seems confusing or homepage comes across as vague in some areas; others just do not know where to start in order to comply with the Commissioner?s proclamation. Clarity Water Technologies is one of the best water treatment companies and Environmental Consultants in NYC. To help interpret the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) order, we have put together a comprehensive guide designed to help keep cooling towers owners in compliance with the City?s mandate.

The ORDER OF THE COMMISSIONER regarding cooling tower disinfection can be downloaded here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/cd/citywide-blanket-order.pdf

The Commissioner?s edict is in response to one of the largest Legionnaire?s Disease outbreaks in New York City?s history, which has taken the lives of a dozen people and sickened more than 115.

If you own or operate a cooling tower, it is your responsibility to treat and maintain it so that it does not cause a public safety issue. The ORDER OF THE COMMISSIONER is intended to make sure that New York City streets are free of harmful water mist from potentially infected cooling towers. Mayor de Blasio has made it clear that failure to comply with the Department of Health?s order will result in a misdemeanor criminal offense.

There has been much tension and confusion amongst building owners in the wake of the Commissioner?s Order, especially on the topics of:

What to do next?

Who to call to disinfect my cooling tower?

Who qualifies as an Environmental Consultant?

What is the industry accepted criteria for disinfecting a cooling tower?

What is the ongoing procedure for controlling legionella in a cooling tower?



What is a New York State DEC Commercial Pest Applicator's License and why is it important?

With the intention of helping our customers and prospects navigate the Commissioner?s Order, we have developed a comprehensive guide to help make sense of the steps that cooling tower owners need to take to comply with it.

The Order of the Commissioner to disinfect all cooling towers in NYC is the City's reponse to a horrible situation. If you need guidance, please download our free step-by-step guide at the link below. If you need direct assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

WHAT IS LEGIONNAIRE'S DISEASE?

Legionnaires? disease is a form of pneumonia that?s caused by breathing in mist contaminated with the Legionella bacteria. This mist is generally associated with warm water from cooling towers, shower heads, and decorative fountains. It cannot be spread through person-to-person contact.

The disease is easily diagnosed and can be treated with antibiotics but poses a serious risk to anyone with an underlying medical condition.

Early symptoms of Legionnaires? disease may include:

Headache

Fatigue

Loss of appetite

Fever that may be 104 degrees F (40 C) or higher.

Symptoms appear two to 10 days after exposure to Legionella bacteria.

By the second or third day, other signs and symptoms may include:

Potentially severe cough, which may bring up mucus and/or blood

Shortness of breath

Chest pain

Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea

Confusion or other mental changes

If you suspect have these symptoms, and suspect that you may have been exposed to legionella bacteria, please follow the Department of Health?s advice and seek medical attention immediately. Legionnaire?s Disease can be effectively treated with antibiotic.

SPECIAL OFFER

Download your FREE guide to help you comply with New York City's DOH Commissioner Mary Bassett's Order to Disinfect Your Cooling Tower within 14 days! This comprehensive guide shows you how to choose an Environmental Consultant in NYC that is capable of cleaning and disinfecting your cooling tower. Failure to do so under the Commissioner's Order is punishable by law. The offense is a misdemeanor crime in NYC.

This free checklist is great for any property owner, chief engineer, property manager or facilities maintenance professional that is in charge of operating and maintaining a cooling tower in New York City. Clarity Water Technologies is New York's top Environmental Consultant specializing in cooling tower disinfection, industrial water treatment chemicals, and Legionella prevention.

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 part of what makes a cooling tower system operate at peak performance. The other part of the equation is proper physical cleaning and maintenance. Today, Clarity offers one of the most reliable and effective cooling tower disinfection services available throughout NY, NJ, CT, DE and PA. Clarity is a NADCA Certified HVAC Cleaning Service Company. Our team also offers on-line cleanings, chlorine dioxide disinfection, Legionella remediation and the 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 Water Treatment and is currently the Managing Partner of Clarity Water Technologies, one of the best 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.

Uk Caer Grant Seeks To Improve Industrial Water Treatment Technology

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.

Epri 2019 Generation Technology Transfer Award

Alpha Water Resources Completes Reverse Osmosis System For Wind-Powered Water Desalinization Project class="doc-header">Alpha Water Resources Completes Reverse Osmosis System For Wind-Powered Water Desalinization Project

The Company has completed the installation and initiation of the reverse osmosis (RO) system with Mitchell County Board of Economic Development, designed to treat 250,000 gallons of water per day

San Angelo, TX (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Alpha Water Resources, a service and turn-key solutions provider of water treatment systems for municipal, agricultural, industrial and oil and gas operations, announced today that it has completed the installation and initiation of a reverse osmosis (RO) system for an ongoing desalinization project in Colorado City, Texas. This is the first project of its kind in the area to deliver drinkable water through a system powered by wind turbines, a renewable technology.

The six-year project to utilize wind-power biocide in oil and gas,DBNPA the water desalinization process leveraged a grant worth approximately $2.6 million from the Texas Department of Agriculture for the implementation of the wind-powered RO system. With these funds, Mitchell County purchased the RO system from a Houston-based company and selected Alpha Water Resources to complete the project and implement the system. Alpha Water?s Executive Vice President Alan Murphy contributed to the original system design.



Alpha Water worked with the selected engineering firm, general contractor and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to complete the project. The system is capable of processing up to 250,000 gallons of water per day, with the potential to scale up to 1,000,000 in the event of rapid population growth in the area. The first successful test performed by the TCEQ approved the process water, deeming it fit for consumption.

?We had previously worked with Alan, the designer of the original RO system, who would later become a member of Alpha Water Resources' team. Alpha Water has recruited top talent with proven expertise in water desalinization systems, and continues to provide high-quality service,?? said Sue Young, Director of the Mitchell County Board of Economic Development. ?These types of large-scale projects are rarely easy, but our work with Alpha Water Resources made the implementation and initiation of the RO system extremely simple. The Alpha Water team provided on-site guidance, helping to introduce a system that meets our current needs and is capable of expansion for future needs.??

?This was a very exciting project to work on being the first of its kind in the area to incorporate electric generation from wind-power into the water desalinization process,?? said J. Ferrara, CEO, Alpha Water Resources. ?Through our team?s expertise in the development, design and implementation of RO systems for municipalities, we were able to deliver a RO project that fit with what Mitchell County was looking for and maintained TCEQ requirements. Thanks to the involvement of our EVP, Alan, and our partners like WET/MCI, who worked closely with us in furthering the capabilities of the original design by adding remote monitoring and troubleshooting in the initial design of the system, we were able to complete and initiate this high-quality system.??

The Alpha Water Resources team was selected due to their exceptional level of service and knowledgeable staff who was onsite to complete the project. With the help of the team, Mitchell County Economic Development was able to implement the new RO system within six months.

About Alpha Water Resources:

Alpha Water Resources provides turnkey solutions for municipal, industrial, agricultural and oil & gas markets ? managing the entire project from concept to commissioning. The Company offers end-to-end service, from design and manufacture to commission and aftersales service providing customers with faster delivery, greater cost- efficiencies, and more effective project management. Alpha Water is fully equipped with proprietary technologies and service processes to provide ongoing consultation including but not limited to process design & engineering, fabrication, installation & commissioning, training, operation & maintenance, troubleshooting, repairs and other miscellaneous services necessary to customers? water management needs.

Monitoring Your Cooling Water Treatment Program :: Momar

 



Veolia Water Technologies (Veolia) has been awarded a contract to supply a flagship Liquor Treatment Plant (LTP) at D?r Cymru Welsh Water?s Five Fords Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), near Wrexham, North Wales. Welsh Water, along with their partner Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB), are developing a flagship sludge treatment centre at Five Fords WwTW. Welsh Water, the only not-for-profit water company in England and Wales is investing ?35m to transform Five Fords into an innovative energy park ? the first of its kind in the industry to incorporate solar, advanced anaerobic digestion and hydro generation schemes at one site.

As a result of the substantial increase in the sludge throughput and implementation of a THP plant a new LTP is required to treat the centrate prior to return to the inlet of the WwTW. Veolia?s solution for Five Fords WwTW is a HYBAS (IFAS) ANITA Mox plant. The ANITA Mox process enables both aerobic nitritation and anoxic ammonia oxidation to take place on a one-stage biofilm process. HYBAS (IFAS) technology using suspended carriers has been a proven application of the MBBR process for more than 20 years. Applying the same concept to ANITA Mox has shown significant benefits.

Veolia and its dedicated MBBR division AnoxKaldnes is the world leader in MBBR technology having pioneered the technology for over 30 years. Since the 1980?s Veolia?s MBBR processes have been applied globally to a wide variety of applications and Veolia now has ANITA MOX municipal and industrial reference plants in the UK and globally, with the first plant now biocide in oil and gas,DBNPA successful operation since 2010.