Microbial requirements on the operation of evaporation coolers, cooling towers, and wet scrubbers
Currently, the 42th BImSchV – Ordinance on evaporation coolers and wet scrubbers – is available to the competend committees for consultation. This ordinance shall be applied for the above plants in which water is used for irrigation or spraying and therefore comes in contact with the atmosphere. For these plants, no authorization according to § 4 BImSchG is required. The 42th BImSchV will determine that plants in its application range have to be erected and operated in a way which prevents a pollution of the cooling or washing water by microorganisms, in particular legionella, by applying state of the art technology. It is also determined that the plant operator must regularly have the cooling and washing water analysed for its concentration of microorganisms and legionella. Furthermore, measures in case of an increase or exceedance of the colony count concentrations and information requirements are determined. Under certain conditions, the operators can submit an application for an exemption approval to the competent authority.
The power of the competent authority to set other or further requirements, especially in order to prevent a harmful impact on the environment according to § 22 para 1 sentence 1 number 1 of the BImSchG, remains unaffected by the future 42th BImSchV. In particular cases, it will be necessary to prove not only the absence of microorganisms in the water but also in the exhaust air and/or in the vicinity.
- VDI 4251 Blatt 1 2007-02
- VDI 4251 Blatt 2
- VDI 4252 Blatt 2
- VDI 4252 Blatt 3
- VDI 4257 Blatt 1
- VDI 4257 Blatt 2
- IFA Nr. 9420
- IFA Nr. 9430
- IFA Nr. 9450
