Since 1899, the year in which the Australian Norman Selfed used an evaporative tower to cool in closed circuit water that he used to condense ammonia, the development and use of this equipment around the world has not stopped growing.
The health problems associated with its operation were first detected at the Annual Convention of the American Legion held in 1976 in a Hotel in Philadelphia (USA).
The disease diagnosed in several of the participants in the convention, presented symptoms similar to those caused by pneumonia.
The analyses carried out revealed that the disease was caused by a bacterium, hitherto unknown, introduced into the body of patients by respiratory route, which allegedly developed in the cooling towers and spread by the Hotel's Air Conditioning system.
The microorganism was baptized by its discoverers, Doctors Charles C. Shepard and Joseph E. McDade, with the name of "Legionella pneumophilla", a name that is unfortunately popular today. However, since that date, the number and field of application of water cooling towers and similar equipment has not stopped growing: Industrial Refrigeration Installations, Air Conditioning,
Cooling of Machinery and Industrial Processes, Electric Power Production Plants, Cogeneration, etc. Simultaneously, products, systems and physical and chemical procedures have been discovered and used, increasingly effective to combat Legionella, to the point that it can be said that, today, any water circuit that is properly maintained and with well-treated water presents a zero risk of (an outbreak of legionellosis) (that dangerous levels of concentration of bacteria are reached). Despite knowing perfectly this pathology and the way to avoid it, in 1996 there was an important outbreak of legionellosis in Alcalá de Henares with the unfortunate result of 7 deaths and more than 220 affected by the disease.
From the investigations carried out, it was concluded that the origin of the outbreak was in cooling towers located in the vicinity of the affected area, in a lamentable state of conservation.
From this date, surprisingly, (was there no legionella in Spain until then, or rather would it not be that the Administration ignored its presence !!?). cases of legionellosis are beginning to be detected in different Spanish cities (Alcoy, Barcelona and Murcia among others), which fortunately, are tackled without major consequences, except in the case of Murcia, where the number of affected reaches the record figure of 470 affected. In these cases, in principle, the cooling towers are pointed out as the original source of the spotlights.
These conclusions, in some cases, are disseminated throughout the nation by the national press.
The consequent social alarm determines that the Ministry of Health publishes Decree-Law 865/2003, still in force today, which regulates the use of evaporative cooling equipment and others (domestic hot water, hot tubs, etc.) susceptible to developing the bacteria.
These measures penalize the use of towers in such a way that they considerably limit their use, especially in air conditioning installations with cooling power equal to or less than 1000 kW.
If we add to this the demonisation of the towers carried out by a certain tabloid press, it is easy to understand that a significant number of natural users of these equipment decline their use, despite the undoubted benefits they present for the exploitation of their industries and for the Community.
Positioning motivated (as can be easily understood), by the fear of being pointed out by the press as responsible for outbreaks of legionella and by the negative consequences that would result for their companies, although the investigations carried out "a posteriori" could indicate that the origin of the outbreak was elsewhere and therefore, they were exempt from any responsibility.
The negative predisposition towards cooling towers, at the official level, has reached incredible extremes, as for example, in the case of the Community of Aragon and the City of Murcia, corporations that have come to threaten the denial of building licenses to investors, potential in shopping centers and office buildings, to persist the latter in their attitude of installing water cooling towers to service the systems of Air conditioning.
Moreover, we know that in some local corporations there is talk of prohibiting the use of water cooling towers in the interest of Public Health.
This is the implementation, to its ultimate consequences, of the philosophy "Dead the dog, the rabies is over".
And we ask ourselves, why don't we apply the same reasoning to domestic hot water systems, to ornamental fountains, proven propagators of some outbreaks of legionellosis?, and/or to vehicles?..
How many accidents and deaths would we avoid if we banned the use of cars?
Isn't that a great idea,?!!.
Irony aside, to reach this extreme, seems to us a regrettable position, unique in the WORLD, (as far as we know there is no country in the world that has taken such drastic measures), contrary to the interests of entrepreneurs, city councils and ultimately the State (that is, citizens and taxpayers) and that calls into question the reasoning of some politicians and their technical advisors.
These organisms:
1º) Apparently they do not know that, at present, there are numerous products and systems to completely eradicate legionella, both from the water of the network (which is where the microbe is introduced into the towers) and from the recirculation water of the same.
2º) They are unaware of the notable improvements introduced in the design and construction of water cooling towers to minimize the risk of developing Legionella, etc ...
3º) It also goes unnoticed that, with this policy, they only manage to transfer the problem to third parties: in this case to the companies that produce and distribute electricity and, ultimately, the State and all citizens who have to face a higher bill for imported oil and / or natural gas to meet the increase in demand for electricity generated by the use of air conditioning equipment cooled by air.
4º) They do not realize that with these measures, they not only prevent the use of the towers to potential unscrupulous entrepreneurs (which seems right to us), but also prevent other honest entrepreneurs, complying with the rules and regulations, from benefiting from the advantageous characteristics offered by evaporative cooling equipment. And we consider this tremendously unfair.
And what do we do with the significant increase in the consumption of electrical energy and consequent emission of greenhouse gases?
According to studies carried out by Anefryc, the increase in electricity consumption and increase in the emission of greenhouse gases in Spain (in case of replacing water cooling towers with aerocoolers) would be equivalent to that produced by (4) additional thermal power plants.!!!.
What is the response of those local Corporations and Autonomous Communities to these questions? Do you have an answer...?
Let's analyze what happens in other countries with similar development and climatology as ours: Portugal, France, Italy, Turkey, USA, Australia, etc. These countries have managed to control the problem of legionella, in particular that originating in air conditioning systems, despite the increasing use of water cooling towers and outbreaks of legionellosis are practically eradicated.
What do they do in those countries that we do not do in ours? Why do cases of legionellosis repeatedly reproduce in Spain, despite the restrictive rules?
The answer is, as we believe, in the Education of Users, Owners and Professionals of the Conservation of Buildings and their Facilities in the Culture of Responsible Maintenance.
Why do the Ministries of Industry and Health, and the Autonomous Communities through their Corresponding Departments not organize training courses for those responsible for the Maintenance and Conservation of Building Facilities that incorporate as a fundamental matter the problem of legionella and preventive maintenance practices to eradicate it?
Surely, they would have the maximum support of the different business organizations to guarantee the success of these courses.
In short, we want to emphasize that the cause of legionellosis outbreaks is not in the towers and / or equipment, of domestic hot water, by themselves, but rather is motivated by the lack of application of rigorous and effective maintenance programs to them.
In this regard, we know that all manufacturers of equipment susceptible to develop legionella (water cooling towers, evaporative condensers, domestic hot water equipment, jacuzzi, etc.) agree with the Administration, in the sense of requiring the owners and / or approved companies to which the maintenance of the facilities is subcontracted, compliance with the Royal Decree and, in case they infringe it, apply the corresponding penalties.
Moreover, we suggest that, just as it is necessary to have a driving licence to drive a vehicle, a certificate of attendance at preventive health maintenance seminars should be required to exercise responsibility for the maintenance of an air conditioning installation.
On the other hand, we think the provisions that appear in the PAEE 2008-2012, launched by the Ministry of Industry during the course of this year, which explicitly recognize the benefits and favor the use of evaporative cooling equipment, through significant financial aid (up to 35% of the eligible cost of the equipment).
Finally, it seems that the Ministry of Industry and Health have realized, among other benefits, the remarkable savings in energy that can be obtained through the use of water cooling towers, adiabatic coolers and the like, without less than the health security of citizens.
In our opinion, it is only necessary to introduce a section in the RITE to restore the use of evaporative cooling equipment to the usual place that, due to its proven benefits, corresponds to them.
This section should oblige the designers of Air Conditioning or Air Conditioning installations with cooling powers equal to or greater than 500 kW to select the equipment and / or cold production plants, with C.O.P. (in the design conditions) necessarily greater than 4.
In this way, the use of the highest energy-efficient equipment available and the consequent collateral benefits for properties, electricity companies and, eventually, local corporations, Autonomous Communities and the State would be ensured."
