No building should make people sick; however, because of poor maintenance and cleaning efforts, the water in cooling towers can serve as the breeding ground for a variety of bacteria. One such bacterium is Legionella, which is the root cause of the recent Legionnaires’ outbreak in New York City that has sadly claimed several lives and sickened many people.
This situation can be avoided by implementing technologies that ensure cooling towers are kept clean. The dust and debris that cause the spread of bacteria can be removed and kept out through proper maintenance, filtration, water treatment and monitoring. This will control the growth of bacteria, such as Legionella, and ensure that disease outbreaks, such as Legionnaires’, are prevented.