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The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (October 9) announced that the department tested 77 water samples collected from cooling towers in 72 buildings in its routine inspections in September this year. Five 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 five samples were collected in September are located at 98-100 Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan; State Theatre Building, 289-291 King's Road, North Point; Yally Industrial Building, 6 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang; Sun Fung Industrial Building, 8-12 Ma Kok Street, Tsuen Wan; and 27-29 Tsuen Wan Market Street, Tsuen Wan. 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. Among them, disinfection of the cooling towers at 98-100 Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan, and Yally Industrial Building, Wong Chuk Hang, has already been completed by the owners, and the cooling tower of the case at State Theatre Building, North Point, has been demolished by the owner. Disinfection in the remaining cases at Sun Fung Industrial Building and 27-29 Tsuen Wan Market Street in Tsuen Wan is being arranged by the owners. Details of these five 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, October 9, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:56
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