INT 1149-B, passed by the Council this March (read the full text here), outlines additional requirements for cooling tower regulations, originally set back in 2015.
Here’s what you’ll be required to do starting this Fall:
 |
Local Law 77 requires minimum inspection and testing once every 3 months (“during periods of the year such cooling towers are in use,” per the law). These quarterly requirements include microbe testing. |
 |
Any inspections including microbe testing (performed by a qualified person) must be reported to the department within 5 days of the inspection date. Building owners are responsible for ensuring this information is sent to the DOHMH, who will in turn post it on a public-facing site. |
 |
The DOHMH notes that they’ll check the accuracy of the reported dates compared to inspection dates kept in the required maintenance log. |
 |
The law doesn’t state any other information (microbe presence or levels/actual inspection results) needs to be reported – just the date. Forthcoming clarifying rules from the DOHMH will say exactly what needs to be submitted to the department. |
 |
That said, if the DOHMH requests the actual results for a specific building, owners will have to provide them within 5 days of the request (or receipt of the request, whichever is later). |
Separately, the DOHMH will now remind you (via email) 30 days before your annual cooling tower certification with the DOB is due. The email will include a direct link to the certification portal, so you can click and submit directly.
Related Articles
About the Author
