You are here: Home: Business: Licences: Cooling tower registration

Cooling tower registration

Introduction

Cooling towers and evaporative condensers have been associated with outbreaks of legionnaires' disease, which is a type of pneumonia.

Legionnaires' disease is caused by the bacterium legionnella pneumophilia, which is common in rivers and ponds. Warm conditions, between 20°C and 45°C, and nutrients such as sludge, algae and rust can promote rapid growth in numbers of these bacteria. They can then be spread in small droplets of water. This is when susceptible people can be at risk.

To assist with the identification of premises that could give rise to outbreaks of legionnella the Notification of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations 1992 require the notification of cooling towers to the Council. The notified premises are kept on a register that the Council makes available to the Health and Safety Executive.

For more information about legionnella visit the Health and Safety Executive web site: What is Legionnaires' disease?|

The register of notified cooling towers is not a public register, but a list of notified premises has been produced.

Fees

There is no fee for the registration of cooling towers. Notifications are placed on file and the notified tower is added to the list.

Will tacit authorisation apply?

The Council cannot refuse to register a notified cooling tower.

Register a cooling tower

• Cooling tower registration|
• Change a cooling tower registration|

If all relevant sections of the application form have been completed the Council aims to acknowledge registrations in writing within two weeks of receipt. If the required details have not been provided in the application form this may delay registration.

back to top