The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (August 7) announced that the department tested 122 water samples collected from cooling towers in 75 buildings during its routine inspections in July this year. Ten samples were detected to have a total legionella count 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 10 samples were collected are located at Fung Cheung Building, 41 Fung Cheung Road, Yuen Long; 8 Tai Yuen Street, Wan Chai; 27C Shui Wo Street, Kwun Tong; 123 San Shing Avenue, North District; Honour Industrial Centre, 6 Sun Yip Street, Eastern District; 157 Blue Pool Road, Wan Chai; Star Mansion, 3 Minden Row, Yau Tsim Mong; 32-34 Nathan Road, Yau Tsim Mong; 13 New Reclamation Wharf, Southern District, and 82 Lok Shan Road, Kowloon City. The EMSD has issued nuisance notices under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance to the owners of the cooling towers requiring appropriate disinfection work to be done. Among them, the owners of nine cooling towers have already completed the disinfection work. The EMSD has instructed again the owner of the cooling tower of the remaining case at 82 Lok Shan Road, Kowloon City, to complete the disinfection work within a prescribed period. Details of the cases can be found 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/en/other_regulatory_services/cooling_towers/water_sampling/index.html).
The EMSD reminds owners of fresh water cooling towers that they have the responsibility to design, operate and maintain 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 Fresh Water Cooling Towers issued by the department to prevent the proliferation of legionella.
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