Thermal Shock In Your Steam Boiler Will Ruin Your New Year!

Are the New York City and New York State Cooling Tower Laws confusing you? You are not alone. We get dozens of calls asking which law applies to which location and when. While we cannot offer legal advice on how you should interpret the laws, we can offer you some assistance in navigating them for yourself.

Below we have put together a Side-by-Side Comparison of the Requirements that have been laid out in New York City and State Legionella Laws and, in some cases, must be accounted for in your Legionella Maintenance Program and Plan. This simple to read chart is intended to help you and your team navigate the new legionella laws. Keep in mind: It is not intended to be a substitute for reading the actual laws. If you are unfamiliar with the New York City and New York State Legionella Laws, you can download them here:



Why Do We Need Cooling Tower Laws?

Water treatment industry professionals have been warning about the dangers of legionella since the Philadelphia outbreak of 1976 that gave the legionella bacteria its name; a convention of the American Legion held at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. Those who were affected suffered from a type of severe pneumonia (lung infection) that eventually became known as Legionnaires? disease. Since then Legionella has been suspected in thousands of lung infections and pneumonia related deaths throughout the United States; but not until 2015, almost 40 years later, has there been any sweeping laws passed to protect the public from illness or death caused by Legionella.

That all changed in New York City last year, in the summer of 2015. By mid-July the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene were aggressively investigation the source of a suspected legionella outbreak that would sicken 133 people and eventually claim the lives of 16 of them. Cooling towers capable of transmitting the bacteria were tested throughout the city, but the DOH had a problem; there were no easily accessible records of all the cooling towers in NYC.

Cooling tower water treatment and maintenance was not regulated in New York, or anywhere in the United States prior to July 2015; but New York City?s outbreak in the South Bronx called for legislative action. Both the New York City AND New York State initially passed emergency regulations to register and address all cooling towers throughout the City and State. By July of 2016, both New York City and New York State had passed sweeping cooling tower laws meant to protect the public and which carry severe penalties for their disregard.

New York State has New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, Title 10 ? Part 4: Protection Against Legionella which given its power by Statutory Authority: Public Health Law, section 225(5)(a). New York City Passed Local Law 77 or 2015 and codified its regulations with a new Chapter 8 (Cooling Towers) of Title 24 of the Rules of the City of New York.

Has There Been Cooling Tower Legislation Passed in Other States?

At the time of the post, we know of no other state that has passed cooling tower regulations that are as significant as the ones found in New York; however, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) did publish a standard that establishes the minimum legionellosis risk management requirements for building water systems. While a standard is not a law, it does provide public guidelines that become harder to ignore in the event of an outbreak. Now that ASHRAE Standard 188 has by published, it is not unreasonable for it local building departments throughout the United States to incorporate it into their bylaws and regulations. In fact, ASHRAE Standard 188 is specifically named as a resource in both the New York City and State Cooling Tower Laws.

The New York City & State Legionella Law Side-by-Side Comparison Chart

The City and State laws are very similar; however there are some significant differences. While we encourage everyone to read the City and State laws, we have put together an easy to follow side-by-side comparison of the major requirements. You may download our free side-by-side chart below. Please note: This is not a legal document and we are not offering any legal advice. We recommend that you read the actual City and State laws for yourself and, if appropriate, seek the guidance of a professionally qualified entity to correctly determine the proper steps that you need to take in order to stay in compliance with the law.

If you need assistance in New York City or State with your cooling tower testing, water treatment, disinfection or Maintenance Program and Plan (MPP), please do not hesitate to contact us: 888-616-3545

Good luck and thanks for reading! Here's your link:

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 polymer water treatment, (his comment is here) 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.

Solar Heat To Make Power + Water For Namibia: Study

50 MWp floating solar plant will generate green energy for website water treatment

National water agency PUB intends to deploy a 50 megawatt-peak (MWp) floating solar photovoltaic (PV) system on Tengeh Reservoir by 2021. When installed, it will beSingapore?s first single large-scale floating solar PV system.



???PUB is also in the process of implementing two other smaller 1.5MWp floating solar PV systems on Bedok and Lower Seletar reservoirs. The construction tender for these two projects has closed and will be awarded in the third quarter of this year. The systems should be in place by early 2020.

PUB is actively implementing the deployment of solar PV systems on the roofs of our water infrastructure, and also on our reservoirs, in order to generate renewable energy and reduce our carbon footprint. Currently, we already have rooftop systems installed at Choa Chu Kang Waterworks, Bedok Waterworks, PUB WaterHub, Tuas Desalination Plant, and the Changi Water Reclamation Plant. When the floating systems on Bedok, Lower Seletar and Tengeh reservoirs are completed, PUB will have a total solar capacity of some 57MWp. This is significant and will give us enough solar energy to power the equivalent of 15,500 4-room HDB flats for a whole year. Solar panels on the roof of Tuas Water Reclamation Plant, when it is finished in 2025, will add another 5MWp to this. ???

On 7 June 2019, PUB will launch a Request for Proposal (RFP) to invite private sector companies to design, build, own and operate, for 25 years, the floating solar PV system on Tengeh Reservoir. This was announced today by Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, at the opening ceremony of the Ecosperity Conference 2019. ???

???The 50MWp Tengeh floating solar PV system will be one of the largest single floating solar PV systems in the world when it is completed. It will generate green energy to power water treatment and is expected to offset 7% of PUB?s current energy needs, reducing our carbon footprint at the same time. Because solar energy does not involve the burning of fossil fuels, the floating Tengeh system will eliminate the need to emit 28,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year that it is in operation. This is equivalent to removing 6,000 cars off our roads.

The Top 7 Springtime Tips for That Best Cooling Tower Water Treatment

Recent events in New York City have once again brought Legionnaires Disease onto the radar for many facilities throughout the Northeast. The latest Legionellosis outbreak reported in NYC has been allegedly linked back to an infected cooling tower in the Bronx. It has been reported that the facility in question is now under the watchful eye of the New York City Health Department. Legionella in a cooling tower is a serious issue because of how a cooling tower operates; not only does the bacteria thrive in an under-treated environment, but the the tower mechanism itself acts as the perfect way to dispurse the bacteria in water droplets into the atmosphere. As you can imagine, attorneys have already threatened to bring suit, and facility managers across the New Your City are re-thinking their protocols for dealing with legionella. Many building owners are trying to figure out if they have the best water treatment company in New York working for them. There is a very good chance that there were steps that could have been followed that would have prevented this unfortunate event; and if the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) get their way, there soon will be.

At this point it has been well documented that ASHRAE Standard 188 stands to fundamentally change the way that facilities handle the treatment, management and maintenance of their plumbing systems, cooling towers, whirlpool spas, swimming pools, decorative fountains, air washers, misters, and humidifiers. Standard 188 was originally developed to address hazards associated with specific water borne pathogens emanating from these systems; however the standard has now become synonymous with controlling and eliminating Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires Disease, a potentially lethal form of pneumonia. In previous draft versions, the major requirement of Standard 188 was the adoption of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach to managing these water related assets, however, now that Standard 188 is in its fourth public review, most the HACCP terminology has been removed while some of the principles of the approach remain. The Standard's title has now also been changed to be in closer alignment with the Standard's overall purpose: Standard 188 - Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems.

In a nutshell, once approved, the latest version of ASHRAE Standard 188 will put even more emphasis on the requirements for design, construction, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance and service of all systems that could potentially breed the legionella bacteria.

What's the big deal?

This will be the first standard, rather than a guideline, that directly addresses legionella in water systems. For instance, OSHA has a long standing guideline that says that it is recommended for building owners to clean and disinfect their cooling towers twice per year. OSHA would like building owners to adopt this guideline into their regular maintenance best practices, but it is by no means enforceable by OSHA or any third party.



Standard 188 also stands to become adopted as American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard. A standard carries more weight than a guideline, and in some states, Standard 188 may also be adopted into law. Standards carry more weight than guidelines and laws obviously carry more weight than standards.

"Legionella pneumophila 01" by CDC (PHIL #1187) - CDC Public Health Image Library.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

It is relevant to note that in many Western European countries including England and Ireland, there are already strict laws in place that hold building owners and facility manager directly and personally responsible for any instances of legionella or other water borne pathogen outbreaks that can be linked back to their facilities. That means that, in those countries, a building owner can be brought up on criminal charges if he or she is found to be grossly negligent in the maintenance of their water systems in the event that someone gets sick or dies.

So what will the shift from guideline to standard mean for facility managers?

To comply with Standard 188, facility managers and building owners will be responsible for controlling and eliminating Legionella in their building?s potable and utility water systems. In hospitals and nursing facilities the stakes stand to be much higher. Implementation of Standard 188 in these facilities will result in a higher standard of care, raising the bar for the minimum acceptable criteria for preventing Legionella in these types of facilities, and that fact could put healthcare providers at a much higher risk for lawsuits if they do not comply. As bearers of increased responsibility and risk, building owners will have to turn to environmental, design and construction, maintenance and water treatment industry experts to help them mitigate the risks associated with Legionella.

Why could facilities be forced to comply with Standard 188 once it is ratified?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that employers comply with occupational safety and health standards and that employees comply with standards, homepage rules, regulations, and orders issued which are applicable to their own actions and conduct. Furthermore, part one of 29 U.S. Code ? 654 - Duties of Employers and Employees states that "each employer will furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees."

When and if Standard 188 is approved, an even stronger case could be made for Legionellosis qualifying as a recognized hazard. All organizations could then be expected to act in accordance with the standard, and if a crisis arises, they could be found guilty of negligence under the law if measures were not taken to uphold the Standard.

What can you do today?

Although Standard 188 has not been completely approved yet, it looks as though it is in the final stages of getting that approval. That means that it is possibly no longer a matter of if it will be approved; but instead only a matter of when. In the case of mitigating risk, a good offense is probably your best defense.

Consider getting a Legionella Risk Assessment and Action Plan. Many of the top water treatment companies throughout the United States offer this type of service, but if it seems that your water treatment company does not, considering finding one that does. A properly prepared Legionella Risk Assessment and Action Plan identifies areas throughout your facility that have the potential to harbor, grow and disperse legionella bacteria. It also describes the protocols that should be used to keep the bacteria at bay and he procedures that can be used to eradicate it in the event that the prevention techniques fail. The action plan is designed to help quickly assess a problem with Legionella and deal with it if a problem should arise; this includes what to do if a facility merely discovers the bacteria in a water system to what actions need to be taken in the event of a fully blown outbreak.

As a point of reference, the following systems could all be potential sources of legionella bacteria:

Cooling Tower

Evaporative Condenser

Humidifiers

Hot and Cold Water Systems

Hot Tubs and Heated Swimming Pools

Natural Thermal Springs and their distribution systems

Respiratory and other medical therapy equipment

Drinking Fountains/Decorative Fountains/Sprinklers

Water Cooled Machine Tools

Car Washes

Any untreated body of water that may exceed 70?F that could be splashed, sprayed or aerosolized.

Any system that contains water that may exceed 70?F and could emit a spray or aerosol during their operation or maintenance.

A quick tip for building owners with a Cooling Tower on thier property: Even if the water in your cooling tower looks clean, you could still have biofilm in your cooling tower. Bioslime can harbor all kinds of microbiological growth including legionella bacteria. A trained technician can usually feel biofilm easier than they can see it by running their hand across the inside wall of the tower basin.

Need more information or guidance?

Clarity Water Technologies is committed to being the best water treatment company on the East Coast. We offer many highly specialized water treatment services including Legionella Risk Assessment and Action Plans. We are also the company to call if you suspect that you may have a Legionella issue at your facility. Issues regarding Legionella and water treatment are not one size fits all. At Clarity, we operate quickly and methodically to assess any potential microbial hot spots, and if warranted, we have multiple methods of remediation at our disposal to get your facility safe and back online fast. If you would like more information about our water treatment services or how to get a free preliminary risk assessment, please check out the link below.

Thanks for reading!

Greg Frazier is an expert in Industrial Water Treatment and is currently the Managing Partner of Clarity Water Technologies, a top Water Treatment and HVAC Cleaning Company in New York. Mr. Frazier has over 18 years of Industrial Water Treatment experience and holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee.

Next Step: We are conducting free on-site surveys throughout the Northeast! This type of in-depth system review could help save you thousands of dollars in operating costs as well as help minimize your exposure to legionella related issues. If you would like to learn how you can receive a free comprehensive HVAC System Survey and Analysis of your facility's HVAC System, please use the link below.

Pub To Deploy Singapore's First Large-scale Floating Solar System By 2021

The NYC Cooling Tower Laws were passed to keep people safe from legionella bacteria and the severe form of pneumonia that it causes. Over the past year, thousands of cooling towers were inspected and tested by the Department of Health?s newly staffed Office of Building Water Supply Oversight (OBWSO). If you are a cooling tower owner in New York City and have received an Inspection Summary Report (ISR) or a Violation Deficiency Report (VDR) then this is article for you. At first glance these documents, issued by the OBWSO, can be very confusing. The following article and FREE downloadable eBook can help answer questions that you may have about your NYC cooling tower ISR, VDR, and/or summons or any assessed fines or penalties.

NYC Cooling Tower Violations and the Violations Deficiency Report

To address growing public health concerns with Legionella and other waterborne pathogens, New York City passed laws specifically mandating the maintenance and operation of cooling towers and has instituted the first proactive inspection program for cooling towers in the United States. If you own a building in New York City with a cooling tower, failure to comply with these new Legionella laws will result in financially significant penalties.

Throughout the first full year of instating the new NY City and State Legionella laws, we have fielded many questions from building owners wanting to know what they needed to do to comply with the new laws and, in many cases, what they were doing wrong ? because they were already receiving violations for issues where they thought that they were already in compliance! Without a doubt, this phenomenon has been more heavily felt within the Five Boroughs of NYC than in other places throughout the state. The New York City Legionella Laws are very specific. They go way beyond merely having a sound cooling tower water treatment program or conducting a yearly cooling tower cleaning.

In response to the huge demand for information regarding NYC Cooling Tower Violations, our compliance team has put together a guide to understanding the violations associated with not properly operating and/or maintaining a cooling tower in NYC. If you own a cooling tower in the City, our guide may help you decode the penalties that you may be at risk for.

In the guide you will find all of the possible violations and the corresponding penalties that may be levied against a building owner that is not in compliance with the law. Each Violation has various Citations that are assigned to it. If you have been assessed with multiple Citations that fall under the same Violation, you are typically only penalized for that Violation one time. You can use this document to help you further understand what the Inspectors from the Department of Health?s Office of Building Water Supply Oversight (OBWSO) are looking for during their visits so that you may avoid unnecessary penalties and fines. Additionally, if you have already been inspected, you can use this document to help you plan and hopefully prevent future violations.

If you don?t feel like reading this entire article, you can skip it and just download your FREE instant copy of our eBook here: NYC Cooling Tower Violations: A Guide to Understanding Your Inspection Summary Report and the Violation Deficiency Report

Brief History of Legionella Laws in NYC

By mid-July of 2015, agents of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene were aggressively investigating the source of a suspected legionella outbreak that would eventually sicken 133 people and claim the lives of 16 accidental victims. Dozens of cooling towers capable of transmitting legionella were tested throughout the city, but the DOH had a problem; there was no definitive list or document of record identifying of all the cooling towers in NYC.

In July of 2015, cooling tower water treatment and maintenance was not regulated in New York, or really anywhere in the United States; but New York City?s outbreak in the South Bronx was so severe that it called for immediate legislative action. Both the New York City AND New York State initially passed emergency regulations to register and address all cooling towers throughout the City and State. By July of 2016, both New York City and New York State had passed sweeping cooling tower laws meant to protect the public and which carry severe penalties for their disregard.

New York State has New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, Title 10 ? Part 4: Protection Against Legionella which given its power by Statutory Authority: Public Health Law, section 225(5)(a). New York City Passed Local Law 77 or 2015 and codified its regulations with a new Chapter 8 (Cooling Towers) of Title 24 of the Rules of the City of New York.

Today, these laws represent the most stringent and broad sweeping laws ever passed in the United States in regard to protecting the public from legionella.

NYC Cooling Tower Violations & Penalties

There are five key steps or milestones in the assessment, issuance and satisfaction of NYC Cooling Tower Violations and Penalties:

Formal Cooling Tower Inspection ? Inspectors from the Department of Health?s Office of Building Water Supply Oversight (OBWSO) will visit every residential and commercial facility with a cooling tower in the Five Boroughs of New York this year. They will conduct investigations of building water supply and distribution systems including cooling towers, water tanks, evaporative condensers, internal plumbing and waste water systems throughout each facility. They may collect environmental samples for testing, conducting water quality analysis including water quality measurements and they will review building maintenance programs and plans for building cooling tower systems to ensure compliance. Depending on the facility and their findings, these visits can take many hours or additional visits to complete.

Inspection Summary Report (ISR) ? After conducting their initial inspection, the OBWSO Inspector will trigger their Inspection Summary Report. In most cases this report will be delivered electronically on the same day that the inspection is completed. The ISR will be delivered to the email address that the Department of Buildings has on file that was used to register the cooling tower online via the NYC Cooling Tower Registration Portal. The ISR lists the codes of law and whether the facility is Compliant or in Violation. This initial report should be used by the building owner or manager to determine if anything needs to be prepared to answer any potential negative findings.

Violation Deficiency Report (VDR) ? The ISR is sent to the in-house Compliance Team of the OBWSO who reviews it for accuracy and makes a final evaluation of the findings against the written laws. The OBWSO official findings are memorialized in the Violation Deficiency Report (VDR) which is also delivered electronically to the email address on record. The VDR is typically sent out within 30 days of the inspection and explains greater details about any violations that were noted during the inspection. Each section of the law that has a violation assessed will be noted on the VDR and the specific citation that triggered the violation will be explained in detail. Every citation will include a number of ?Days to Cure,?? which will either be 7, 3, or 0. If the citation has zero days to cure, the only thing you can do is address the issues that triggered the citation for future inspections. If the citation allows, 3 or 7 days to cure, you have that much time to upload remedial information via the Online Cooling Tower Registration Portal, and hopefully avoid a penalty for that specific infraction.



Notice of Violation (Summons) ? Cooling Tower-related Summonses typically have a hearing date scheduled within the 30 to 60 days of receiving the Summons. They may also offer an option to mail-in a payment penalty for many of the potential infractions. Should you choose to pay the mail-in penalty, you will not have to attend the hearing. However, you will still be required to update your missing information/testing data to avoid future violations. You may also be required to attend the hearing and bypass the mail-in penalty, depending on the severity of the infraction. The Environmental Control Board (ECB) is an administrative law court where judges hear cases. Its operations are overseen by the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH), which is the City?s central, independent administrative law court. OATH Hearing Officers hear cases on Notices of Violation (summonses) which charge a person with breaking rules or laws that protect the City's environment, health or public safety.

It is important to note that if your Summons includes a Cure Date, then that is the Date by which the enforcement agency needs to process, accept and certify a Certificate of Correction in order for you to avoid your OATH hearing. If no date is shown, your summons cannot be cured, and you are required to attend the OATH hearing. If the ?Must Appear?? box is checked, and the respondent wants to fight the summons, then the Respondent must appear in person at the time, date, location and time of the scheduled OATH hearing. If checked, this summons cannot be fought by mail, online, by phone or by webcam.

In the event that you need to change the date of your hearing, you may request a different date by calling the OATH Hearings Division at 844-OATH-NYC (844-628-4692) before the scheduled hearing date. Each party may only make one (1) request to reschedule.

Satisfying the Summons ? If a penalty is noted on your summons and the summons does not state that you must appear, you will have two options. You could either pay your penalties ? usually online, by mail or in person ? or you can contest your summons by participating in a hearing. If you pay your summons on or before the hearing date without having a hearing, you are admitting to the charge and you waive your right to a hearing. If you wish to fight a summons, you must do so on or before the hearing date listed on the summons. If you have a hearing and the Hearing Officer finds you in violation of the charges cited by the enforcement agency, you must pay that penalty, even if you wish to appeal the hearing officer's finding.

If you did not pay before the hearing and you did not contest your summons by participating in a hearing, then you will be found in violation of the charge by a default and a higher penalty may be imposed.

If you participated in a hearing and a Hearing Officer found you in violation of the charges on the summons, you must pay the penalty imposed. OATH Hearing Officers do not have the discretion to alter or waive a penalty amount because all penalties are set by law. If you do not pay the imposed penalty, the City may file papers with the Civil Court of New York City and enter a judgment against you. The Department of Finance, the agency responsible for collecting money that is owed to the City, may also start collection activities.

Certificate of Correction

If you have received a Department of Buildings Summons (also known as Notice of Violation, violation or NOV) that includes a Commissioner's order to correct the conditions(s). You may be required to certify the correction with the Department of Buildings Administrative Enforcement Unit (AEU) in order to clear the summons/violation from department records. A violation may continue to appear "open" in department records, even if you have attended the hearing or paid the imposed penalty until you submit acceptable proof that the violating condition(s) have been corrected. If required, you must correct all violating conditions in order to certify correction and resolve the violation. The Department accepts a Certificate of Correction any time after a violation is issued. Partial correction of the violation is not acceptable.

A Certificate of Correction is a form used to certify correction of a violation/summonses issued by Department of Buildings and scheduled for a hearing at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH)/Environmental Control Board (ECB).

If a Summons is eligible for a ?cure,? you may be able to avoid a hearing and penalty. In order to do so, you must correct all violating conditions, submit an acceptable Certificate of Correction to the Department, and receive a Certificate of Correction Approval by the ?CURE DATE? listed on your summons. A ?CURE? is an admission of the charge(s) on the summons, a waiver of any and all defenses and a waiver of the ability to appeal the charge(s).

For more information of how to file a Certificate of Correction, please visit the NYC Department of Buildings? website.

Understanding Your Summons

Long Form Summons

Summons Number - The unique number to identify a particular summons.

Enforcement Agency - the agency that wrote the summons and filed it at the OATH Hearings Division for a hearing.

Respondent - The person or entity that the City enforcement agency names as responsible for the summons and that is responsible for answering the summons.

Date of Occurrence - The date the charges on the summons were observed.

Place of Occurrence - The location where the charged offense took place.

Hearing Date - The date of scheduled hearing at the OATH Hearings Division.

Borough - The borough where the OATH hearing office is located.

Cure Date - Date by which the enforcement agency needs to process, accept and certify a Certificate of Correction in order for you to avoid the OATH hearing. If no date is shown, your summons cannot be cured and you are required to attend the OATH hearing.

Must Appear - If this box is checked and the respondent wants to fight the summons, then the Respondent must appear in person at the time, date, location and time of the scheduled OATH hearing. If checked, this summons cannot be fought by mail, online, by phone or by webcam.

Remedy - Explains how to come into compliance with the enforcement agency's rules and regulations so that you are not issued another summons for the same offense in the future.

Provision of Law - The section of law or the rule that the respondent is charged with violating.

Infraction Code - Use this code to see if your summons is one that can be fought by mail, online, by phone or by webcam.

Recurring condition - If you have already been issued a summons for the same offense, it will be indicated here.

Violation Details - Contains the inspector's detailed description of the conditions observed. Read this section carefully, since there may be multiple conditions included as part of the summons.

Remedy - Explains how to come into compliance with the enforcement agency's rules and regulations so that you are not issued another summons for the same offense in the future.

How To Be In Compliance With The New York Cooling Tower Laws

While there are many parts to the New York State and City Cooling Tower Laws, the following is a list of the major requirements that must be fulfilled to be compliant:

Your cooling towers MUST be registered on both the New York City Cooling Tower Registration and New York State Cooling Tower Registration

Your New York City Department of Buildings Cooling Tower Registration Number MUST be posted on a sign or plate that is securely fastened to the cooling tower/evaporative condenser. You should have one number per cooling tower system on your property.

Your Cooling Tower Maintenance Program & Plan (MPP; also known as a Water Management Plan) MUST be in place. This plan needs to be developed by a ?qualified person?? and was required to be on-site by March 1st, 2016.

Your cooling tower water treatment program must be in place at the time of startup. Your program must comply with your NYC Cooling Tower Maintenance Program and it must utilize daily automated blow down control and chemical feed.

Your cooling towers MUST be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with your Maintenance Program and ASHRAE Standard 188 within 15 days of start-up. Cooling towers MUST be cleaned and disinfected as often as necessary as per Chapter 8 of Title 24 of The Rules of the City of New York, but no less than twice per year.

You MUST have a qualified person perform a pre-startup inspection and take a legionella sample prior to starting up your cooling tower this cooling season. The sampling dates and test results must be entered in the log section of your Maintenance Program and Plan.

A legionella sample must be taken at start up and then every 90 days while the cooling tower is operating. If your system runs seasonally, the first test must be taken before start up. IMPORTANT: Ninety 90 days means 90 days ? not three months!

A qualified person must conduct a cooling tower inspection every 90 days while the tower is in operation.

A qualified person must conduct a yearly Compliance Inspection. The yearly certification must be submitted to the City via the online cooling tower portal.

You MUST have testing supplies on-site and, in New York City, someone on your team must be trained to and responsible for taking manual water quality tests at least three times per week (with no more than two days between tests) and biological tests (dip slide tests) at least once per week. The water quality test results must reflect pH, temperature, conductivity, and biocidal indictors present in the cooling tower (open condenser) water. If there is no one on your team to that can perform these mandatory duties, there are approved methods to automate the water quality tests; however, the biological indicator tests must still be run weekly. The tower must be inspected weekly by someone on your on-site team and any issues must be noted in your log book.

If you need any help with these tasks, you should contact us for a FREE Cooling Tower Inspection and NYC Cooling Tower Compliance Quote. We offer comprehensive Cooling Tower Contracts that keep you compliant with the law. Our contracts include licensed chemical service, cooling tower cleanings, legionella testing, all testing supplies, a custom Maintenance Program & Plan, and much more. If you would like a FREE, no commitment assessment and estimate, please click the FREE Consultation Button below:

The Legal Stuff

Please be aware: Clarity Water Technologies is not responsible for the accuracy or implementation of this document. This document, NYC Cooling Tower Violations: A Guide to Understanding Your Inspection Summary Report and the Violation Deficiency Report, is for information purposes only. By using this document in ANY way, you are hereby agreeing to fully defend, indemnify and hold harmless Clarity Water Technologies from and against any and all losses, claims, suits or other legal liability and legal expenses of any nature imposed upon or brought against them by reason of any act or omission of Clarity Water Technologies or its agents or employees that may arise in use of this document.

As always, thank you for reading!

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 20 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.