Is mandatory testing for Legionella to be part of the new requirements?

The Legionella Working Party considered the requirement for mandatory testing for Legionella but did not recommend it as a general mandated requirement for all cooling towers. The reasons for this are that: • The level of risk varies for each cooling tower system • There is unpredictability in the science underlying this test • There are long delays in obtaining test results (up to 10 days), and • Negative test results have the tendency to give a false sense of security - as water quality may change considerably in a short period of time. The Government's strategy provides for a balanced program to cover remediation requirements to address the risk factors associated with cooling tower systems. Every cooling tower system will have a risk assessment and risk management plan to ensure that an appropriate level of maintenance and testing is in place. Testing for Legionella forms part of the performance measures of risk management plans. Specific remedial actions are contained in the ...  more