Cooling Water Treatment Solutions

1
Cooling Water Treatment Solutions
2
Water Treatment Services is a leading independent
UK environmental engineering company offering a
comprehensive range of cooling water treatment
and in-field engineering support solutions for
cooling systems including evaporative condensers
and cooling towers. Our treatment solutions for
cooling systems including cooling towers address
the common problems of corrosion, scaling,
fouling and microbial contamination that can
affect the safety, regulatory compliance and
performance of cooling systems. Our water
management services are delivered by in-field
experts who use the latest high performance
cooling water treatment products including
biocides, chemical cleaners and antiscalants
commercial water softeners, equipment and data
controllers to help reduce costs, enhance
operational efficiency and reliability extend
asset lifecycles and improve safety and
regulatory compliance issues, including the
control of Legionella to satisfy the requirements
of the Health Safety Executives Approved Code
of Practice ACOP L8 and HSG274.
Expert cooling tower water treatment
solutions Our expert water treatment services
for cooling systems including evaporative
condensers and cooling towers includes
3

• COOLING TOWER WATER TREATMENT SERVICING
• In-field cooling system and cooling tower water
  treatment, engineering support and maintenance
  services to control corrosion, scaling, fouling
  and microbial contamination including Legionella
  bacteria.

• REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
• Cooling system compliance solutions to meet the
  legal standards set in the HSEs ACOP L8 and
  HSG274.

• CHEMICALS EQUIPMENT
• We use high performance cooling water treatment
  products, commercial water softeners, and dosing
  and data control equipment to support our
  in-field services.
• MONITORING VALIDATION
• Latest water analysis equipment to monitor and
  validate cooling system treatment programme
  performance.
• LABORATORY TESTING
• Water sampling and laboratory testing for
  Legionella bacteria, Pseudomonas and other
  important parameters.
• ENERGY EFFICIENCY
• Expert investigation and analysis to identify
  process improvement and energy efficiencies
  involving cooling towers, cooling systems, HVAC
  and heat transfer processes energy efficiency ?

4
Full national UK coverage With offices in London
serving the South and South East England,
Manchester (North West), Birmingham (Midlands),
Bristol (South East England and Wales), Leeds
(North and North East) and Glasgow (Scotland),
supported by regional teams of specially trained
engineers, in-field cooling water treatment
specialists and technical experts we can offer
professional, cost effective solutions for the
management and continued treatment of
open-recirculating cooling towers, closed-loops
and once-through cooling systems across the whole
of the UK and Ireland. Contact us today to learn
how our expert cooling water treatment services,
Legionella control, cooling tower engineering
solutions can help you optimise costs and
operational efficiencies, reduce downtime,
achieve water and energy savings, increase plant
reliability, and improve safety and regulatory
compliance to meet the standards set by the HSE
in their ACOP L8. To speak with one of our
cooling water experts call us on 0330 223 31
31 or simply use the button below.
5
Cooling water treatment services Cooling
systems, whether open-recirculating cooling
towers, closed-loops or once-through systems are
an essential component in many commercial,
industrial and process environments where their
primary purpose is to remove heat via a heat
exchanger to water in a cooling system. The most
common of these are recirculating systems that
use either evaporative condensers or a cooling
tower to dissipate heat. The use of water in this
way is a highly cost effective, energy efficient
means of heat transfer.
Problems affecting water cooled systems If a
cooling system or the water used within it is
poorly maintained or left untreated it can lead
to a number of common problems that will affect
cost, performance, reliability and safety. The
problems associated with poor cooling water
treatment and system maintenance include
corrosion, scaling, fouling and microbial
contamination.
6

• CORROSION

• CORROSION

• SCALING

• FOULING

• MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION

Such problems can affect cooling performance,
reduce heat transfer efficiencies, increase
energy costs reduce asset reliability and
life-expectancy, and cause significant health,
safety and regulatory compliance issues for the
operators of such cooling systems. To combat
these problems cooling systems and the water used
within them requires suitable treatment often
involving the use of specialist high performance
water treatment chemicals.
7
Successful treatment of cooling
systems Successful cooling system operation
requires a holistic approach to the maintenance
and protection of both the cooling system
components and cooling waters against the
detrimental effects of corrosion, scale
formation, fouling and microbial
contamination. A well-managed cooling tower
water treatment programme will help optimise
costs and operational efficiencies, reduce
downtime, achieve water and energy savings,
increase plant reliability, and improve safety
and regulatory compliance.
Water Treatment Services holistic approach to
successful cooling system management involves
control of the following issues

• CORROSION CONTROL

Appropriate measures to control unwanted system
corrosion caused by oxygen associated corrosion,
galvanic corrosion and microbially influenced
corrosion (MIC).

• SCALE CONTROL

Controlling the precipitation and accumulation of
hardness scales on to heat exchange surfaces,
pipe work and other internal surfaces.
8

• CONTROL OF FOULING
• Controlling system fouling to reduce blockages,
  improve heat transfer efficiencies, and maintain
  flow rates.
• CONTROLLING MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION
• Controlling microbial contamination and
  biofouling to ensure suitable standards of water
  hygiene and regulatory compliance are achieved.

Controlling corrosion in cooling tower water
systems The control of corrosion in cooling
systems is essential as it can cause a number of
serious problems. Corrosion of the metallic
components within the system can lead to serious
degradation issues, increased costs, reduced
asset reliability and life-expectancy, and
ultimately system failure. It can also impact
heat transfer efficiencies which increases energy
costs. Cooling water related corrosion can be
caused by a number of factors that typically
include oxygen associated corrosion, galvanic
corrosion and microbially influenced corrosion
(MIC). Where stainless steel exists chloride
ions can also become an issue causing pitting
corrosion. The relationship between corrosion and
scaling potential in cooling waters can be
predicted using the Langelier Saturation Index
(LSI). The system should be kept clean and free
from microbial contamination and fouling. A
specialist cooling water corrosion inhibitor,
selected to account for the system metallurgy and
local water conditions should also be used.
9
Scale control in cooling water systems The
formation of scale (sometimes called limescale)
on heat exchanger surfaces and cooling tower
packing can become a significant issue. If left
untreated or treated incorrectly scale can
build-up on surfaces and acts as an excellent
insulator to reduce heat transfer efficiencies
and constrict flow rates. It can also harbour
dangerous pathogens including legionella
bacteria, the causative organism for the
potentially fatal condition Legionnaires
disease. The scaling potential of the water
source depends on the source water hardness, and
occurs when calcium and magnesium salts
precipitate out on to surfaces as a result of
heat and increased concentration factor. The
scaling potential can be predicted using the
Langelier Index (LSI) and this can be used to
develop an optimum cooling water treatment
programme that balances both scale and corrosion
considerations. To control scale formation in a
typical cooling system the following water
treatment activities should be considered.
10

• Pre-filtration or clarification of the water to
  remove suspended solids present.
• Cooling water treatment chemicals using
  specialist polymer dispersants to ensure
  suspended solids remain mobile.
• Side stream filtration of to remove suspended
  solids and clean cooling circuit.
• Periodic off-line cooling tower cleaning and
  disinfection.

Microbial control, legionella Legionnaires
disease Microbial contamination of cooling
systems, and in particular, cooling towers that
use open evaporative cooling techniques should be
considered a safety critical issue that requires
careful management and control to ensure they are
clean, well maintained and meet the compliance
standards set in the Health Safety Executives
ACOP L8 and HSG274 Part 1 dealing with the
control of Legionella bacteria and Legionnaires
disease in evaporative cooling systems, including
cooling towers. Cooling towers are known to
present a particularly high Legionella risk as
their mode of operation can create an ideal
mechanism for the growth, proliferation and
dispersal of Legionella bacteria over wide areas,
now known to be at least 6km from the source
cooling tower.
11
Did you know that cooling towers can spread
Legionella bacteria over wide areas at least 6km
in some cases Controlling microbial
contamination including Legionella in cooling
towers requires a robust water treatment and
Legionnaires disease control programme. This
would typically include the preparation of
detailed operation and maintenance procedures for
the cooling tower together with a chemical water
treatment programme involving the use of
specialist cooling water treatment chemicals,
dosing equipment and data controllers. Regular
monitoring and testing will also be required to
validate the success of the treatment programme,
along with specialist laboratory tests for
Legionella bacteria at least every three months.
The cooling tower system will also require
cleaning and disinfecting regularly.
12
Additionally, the Health Safety Executives
ACOP L8 requires that you
RESPONSIBLE PERSON
Appoint a suitably competent person who has
sufficient authority and knowledge of the water
systems to ensure compliance with the law,
referred to as the responsible person.
LEGIONELLA RISK ASSESSMENT
Carry out a legionella risk assessment to
identify the risks.
WRITTEN SCHEME Prepare a written scheme for
preventing or controlling the risks from
legionella and Legionnaires disease.
LEGIONELLA CONTROL Implement, manage and monitor
the legionella control measures required. RECORD
KEEPING Keep records of all the legionella
control measures implemented and performance
results.
13
Cooling water treatment training The industrial
and process water treatment specialists at Water
Treatment Services have developed an extensive
series of professional water and wastewater
treatment training courses that includes WTS
0050 Cooling Water Treatment Evaporative
Cooling Systems. This specialist water treatment
training course comprises an intensive one day
course designed for plant operators, water
treatment service engineers, facilities managers,
maintenance and engineering contractors, and
those with responsibility for commercial and
industrial cooling towers and other cooling
systems training ? Expert cooling water
treatment services support Contact Water
Treatment Services today to discuss your cooling
tower water treatment requirements. We can
provide expert advice and support regarding the
management and treatment of open-recirculating
cooling towers, closed-loops and once-through
cooling systems. With offices in London serving
the South and South East England, Manchester
(North West), Birmingham (Midlands), Bristol
(South East England and Wales), Leeds (North and
North East) and Glasgow (Scotland), supported by
regional teams of specially trained engineers,
in-field water treatment specialists and
technical experts we can offer reliable, cost
effective water treatment and engineering support
services throughout the UK and Ireland. Contact
us today for more information or for your FREE,
no obligation quote.