Heads up, facilities managers! A new rule is coming down the pike that impacts buildings throughout the City of New York that use cooling towers – potentially making your compliance efforts a little more complex.
You might recall Local Law 77, a key piece of new regulation that first arrived August, 2015.
Final regulations derived from it have been published and will soon be the law of the land. All buildings must comply within 30 days of the publication; 60 days after, notices of violation will be issued.
The new rules require registration with the City for all the following components:
- Cooling towers
- Fluid coolers
- Evaporative condensers
Maintaining Compliance for the New Rules – Quick Overview
Registration of all affected components is only step one. Owners will now have to take specific actions to ensure their cooling towers are in good working order every year. This requires them to secure the services of experienced environmental consultants.
Each year, consultants using industry-standard protocols established by ASHRAE must test, inspect, and disinfect all New York City cooling towers. This process is intended to curb the spread of Legionnaire’s Disease, which flourishes in poorly-maintained cooling towers.
Your environmental consultant, in turn, must apply appropriate biocides in accordance with the rules for Category 7G commercial pesticide applicator certification laid out by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Annual Recertification is a Must for New York City Buildings
Those responsible for a building using a cooling tower or other covered equipment will now be expected to file annual certification attesting that the equipment was inspected, tested, cleaned, and disinfected by qualified professionals.
Any property owner who fails to recertify promptly could be subject to significant fines – and that, in turn, could invite further official scrutiny about other aspects of your compliance regime.
For those in the New York City area requiring compliance help with their cooling towers, you can contact Donnelly Mechanical, certified commercial HVAC and environmental specialists.
Get in Touch