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The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (August 7) announced that the department had tested 88 water samples collected from cooling towers in 80 buildings in July this year. Three samples were detected to have a Legionella bacteria count (LBC) at or above the upper threshold, which is 1 000 colony-forming units per millilitre. The latest statistics are set out in Annex 1.
The cooling towers in which the three samples were collected in July are located at 17 Kik Yeung Road, Yuen Long; Kam Wah Mansion, 226-242 Cheung Sha Wan Road, and 326-328 Castle Peak Road, Sham Shui Po. The EMSD has issued nuisance notices under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance to the owners of these cooling towers requiring appropriate disinfection work to be done. Disinfection of the cooling towers in these three cases has already been completed by the owners. Details of these three cases, as well as the locations of buildings served with nuisance notices during the preceding three-month period because the LBC was found in their fresh water cooling towers to be equal to or above the upper threshold, are set out in Annex 2. The EMSD publishes the latest statistics of the above information on a half-monthly basis on its website (www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/eng/pps/oa_ct_stat.shtml).
The EMSD reminds fresh water cooling tower owners that they are responsible for designing, operating and maintaining cooling towers properly. They should arrange regular inspections, timely maintenance and periodic testing of the water quality in their cooling towers in accordance with the Code of Practice for Water-cooled Air Conditioning Systems issued by the department to prevent the proliferation of Legionella bacteria.
Ends/Thursday, August 7, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:26
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