Detect legionella in cooling towers

Industries, establishments and institutions equipped with Cooling Towers must continue to carry out regulatory analyses for legionella to avoid possible contamination by legionella, which are potentially present in water. 

Legionella in waterworks can be hazardous to human health

Health establishments (clinics, hospitals, care institutions) and industrial sites (food processing, chemical industries, hospitals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals...) still in operation during the current lockdown are very often equipped with cooling towers. These cooling towers are mainly used for air conditioning in the tertiary sector, or for cooling in industry. In order to identify potential contamination by legionella, the establishments and industries concerned must regularly analyse the water in their cooling towers. Depending on the power of the installation, the regularity of these analyses varies. In all cases they must be made under accreditation and in compliance with NF T90-431 in order to be valid.

In France, the regulations concerning the monitoring of legionella are detailed in the “Arrêté du 14 décembre 2013”. This decree clearly details which factors are to be taken into account and our experts are at your disposal for information and assistance. 

Indeed WESSLING continues to collect and analyse water samples in the microbiological laboratory from the Parisian site. In this way, we support companies and institutions that are still in business today. By being COFRAC* accredited for sampling and analyses (n°1-6579 et n°1-5578, to be consulted on www.cofrac.fr) WESSLING ensures a reliable and valid result. We remain available to our partners throughout this unprecedented situation and also beyond.
In fact, during this prolonged period of inactivity, the water networks are no longer in use. This increases the risk of bacterial contamination. Establishments receiving visitors, sports facilities, swimming pools and other industrial or business establishments will therefore b obliged to have their water tested in order to ensure the absence of legionella but also to ensure the potability of the water.

Why are legionella dangerous? 

Legionella are rod-shaped bacteria that live in water. When humans come into contact with water infected with these bacteria, Legionella can cause "legionellosis", a respiratory infection. Legionella bacteria can be found in cooling tower water, but also in DHW systems (showers) or humidification systems (air humidifiers, foggers).