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Evaporative cooling systems, cooling towers & wet separators

Under certain conditions, evaporative cooling systems, cooling towers and wet separators can release water droplets containing bacteria from the Legionella family into the environment. Inhaling these water droplets can lead to severe pneumonia, which can be fatal in up to 15% of all cases.

In recent years, legionella infections have occurred in several cities in the vicinity of cooling towers or cooling systems. Against this background, the legislator has passed a nationwide ordinance that regulates the hygienic operation of evaporative cooling systems, cooling towers and wet separators: the 42nd Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (Ordinance on Evaporative Cooling Systems, Cooling Towers and Wet separators - 42nd BImSchV).

Objective

The aim of the ordinance is to prevent hazards caused by legionella and to reduce the effects of improper operating conditions that nevertheless occur, thus minimizing the health risk to the population.

Contents

The ordinance regulates the binding application of the state of the art as well as directly applicable technical and organizational obligations in the construction and operation of affected technical water systems such as evaporative cooling systems, cooling towers and wet separators.

It is based, among other things, on the VDI guidelines for cooling towers and evaporative cooling systems (VDI 2047 Sheet 2 and VDI 3679 Sheet 1).

Entry into force

The text of the regulation can be found under -> Downloads. The ordinance was promulgated in the Federal Law Gazette on 19.07.2017 and came into force one month after promulgation, i.e. on 19.08.2017.

Evaporative cooling systems

Evaporative cooling systems are usually operated as open recooling units for refrigeration, air conditioning or energy generation systems. They are used in industry and the energy sector as well as in retail, catering, hotels and office buildings. Only recooling plants that dissipate heat to the ambient air by evaporating water are affected.

Dry recooling plants and other systems that are not expected to pose a risk are excluded from the regulation.

Excluded are, for example

  • ventilation systems that evaporate water for adiabatic cooling,
  • Systems in halls,
  • Systems with a constant temperature of 60 degrees Celsius or more,
  • Systems with chillers where the temperature may fall below the dew point and,
  • Systems in which the process water has a permanent salt concentration of more than 100 grams of halides per liter.

Cooling towers

The scope of application includes cooling towers with a cooling capacity of more than 200 kW.

Wet separators

The ordinance also regulates the operation of wet separators, which are used in industry for exhaust air purification. The ordinance contains an extensive list of exceptions for these.

Wet separators are exempt

  • in which the process water has a permanent pH value of 4 or more or 10 or more,
  • in which the waste gas is heated to at least 72 degrees Celsius for at least 10 seconds or
  • which are operated exclusively with fresh water using the continuous flow principle.

A detailed description of the scope of application of the 42nd BImSchV can be found in § 1 of the ordinance.

Sections 3 - 14 of the 42nd BImSchV contain the requirements for the construction, quality, operation and monitoring of evaporative cooling systems, cooling towers and wet separators. For example, the operator must

  • carry out internal inspections of the process water,
  • commission laboratory tests of the process water,
  • report the systems, arrange for an inspection by experts or inspection bodies
  • and to initiate measures if test and measure values are increased or exceeded.

It is also necessary to keep an operating log.

Obligation to notify

In accordance with the 42nd BImSchV, plant operators must report evaporative cooling plants, cooling towers and/or wet separators on KAVKA-42BV, report any exceedances and communicate the results of the inspection of proper plant operation (every five years).

No access data is required for initial registration on the platform. Before logging in for the first time, it is only necessary to register as an operator (register button on the login page). Operators can find detailed help under the menu item "Help".

The type and scope of the notification as well as the deadlines to be observed can be found in Section 13 of the Ordinance.

In Thuringia, the administrative districts and independent cities are responsible for enforcing the 42nd BImSchV. For businesses in Jena, this is the lower immission control authority of the city of Jena. It is responsible for

  • Accepting information after it has been determined that the action values have been exceeded in accordance with § 10 and forwarding this information to the responsible health authority,
  • Accepting notifications in accordance with § 13 (only in exceptional cases, as the operators are obliged to enter their systems / changes / decommissioning / change of operator independently in the recording module),
  • Acceptance of the inspection report in accordance with § 14 Para. 2,
  • Determination of deviating requirements in accordance with § 14 Para. 3,
  • issuing an exemption permit in accordance with § 15 and
  • the implementation of administrative offense proceedings in accordance with § 19 of the 42nd BImSchV

responsible.

Links

Downloads