Cooling towers require water for their continuous and uninterrupted operation. The water required for such a process can be to the tune of thousands of gallons per day. Therefore, the water used for the operation of these towers needs to be maintained at appropriate standards of hygiene. The health of the tower depends upon how well the water is maintained.
Generally, the water used in these towers can deteriorate because of environmental conditions. Some of the conditions that may take place at a cooling water plant are stagnation of water, growth of bacteria, formation of algae and others. Using untreated water in these towers may also cause legionnaire's disease, which can be life threatening in its most severe form.
The best way forward is to use specialty water treatment chemicals that will prevent the deterioration of water due to environmental conditions. Further, using water treatment chemicals will lead to better management of the tower installation and help deal with a range of related problems such as scale, corrosion, suspended particles, solids, and even bio-fouling. The range of these treatment chemicals is vast, which includes bio-dispersants, biocides, antifoams, scale and corrosion inhibitors and other multi-capable products.
Preserving cooling water quality is an important aspect of the overall safety process. Therefore, keeping the water safe and free from contaminants is an integral part of the daily maintenance routine at the cooling tower. Besides this process, it is important that workers exposed to the maintenance process wear proper clothing along with gloves and other protective equipment.
It is not necessary for the water to look unclean. Even clean looking water can in fact be unhygienic and can harbor bacteria. Therefore, along with using water treatment chemicals, it is necessary to test the water regularly for bacteria and other impurities. Therefore using water treatment chemicals is an important part of managing and maintaining the cooling tower.
Companies that do not take water treatment seriously risk the health and productivity of their own employees. Additionally, any outbreak of disease in the company could affect the morale of the workers. Such incidents could also attract bad press coverage, thereby reducing the trust that shareholders and the general public reposes in the company. Such incidents could also lead to litigation, making the company incur heavy costs.
Thus, treatment of cooling water should be taken as a priority activity. Water treatment chemicals are an important aspect of this management, and care should be taken that the water in these towers is tested and maintained regularly.
