Cooling Towers

Cooling towers provide cooled water for air-conditioning, manufacturing and electric power generation. They can be found in many large premises such as hotels, leisure centres, factories and shopping centres.

The main purpose of these regulations is to prevent Legionellosis (legionnaires disease) and help in the investigation of outbreaks.

Poor maintenance of wet cooling systems can give rise to the conditions in which outbreaks of Legionnaires Disease can occur – which can often cause serious illness and even fatalities. For more information about legionnaires' disease and its control, visit the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.

Anybody who has control of premises with a cooling tower has a duty under the Notification of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations 1992 to notify the local authority in writing with details of any 'notifiable devices', and to update these details as required.

Even if the premises is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), you must still notify the local authority.

'Notifiable devices' consist of cooling towers and evaporative condensers, except when they contain water that is not exposed to the air and the water and electricity supply are not connected.

If a tower becomes redundant and is decommissioned or dismantled, this should also be notified to the local authority.

If you need to register a cooling tower or change the details of an existing registration, the application forms and information you need may be found here.

If you are worried about a cooling tower that you think may not be registered or properly maintained, you should contact us so that we can carry out an investigation.