Meet our Team – Bernard McCabe

Meet Bernard McCabe one of our Industrial Water Engineers and Environmental Officer.

Bernard has a background working in quality and laboratory environments and has a profound interest in sustainability and the helping the environment.

Bernard was involved in helping achieve Gold Standard accreditation for European Water Stewardship for the 1st company in Ireland – and then helped them gain Advanced Water Stewardship in 2020.

Have a look at our short video to see more about Bernard!

If you want to find out what you could be doing to help reduce your carbon footprint through water sustainability please get in touch with us.

 

Why we recommend using solid chemicals for your water treatment

Considering whether to use solid chemicals for your water? AquaChem are proud to say over 80% of our customers use solid chemicals as their choice of water treatment, with good reason. Not only is moving from liquid water treatment chemicals to solid chemicals relatively simple, it also offers a tonne of benefits to both the […]

An Introduction to Sustainable Water Management

Sustainability and water conservation have long been hot topics in the water treatment field, with sustainable water management proving critical in the coming years. Water usage in organisations, has often been considered a secondary aspect on many business’ agendas, however as the emphasis on sustainability is being highlighted more than ever, businesses need to prioritise […]

Cooling Towers; Their Purpose and Importance

Cooling Towers are structures that use water evaporation or airflow to remove excess heat from industrial equipment and HVAC systems. They are essential for power plants, factories, processing / manufacturing plants, hotels and other large commercial buildings that depend on water circulation to discard heat from the building.

Tank Removal & Replacement – Case Study

SUMMARY

Remove 2 X 58,000 Litre Tanks with associated pipework and replace with 2 new 58,000 Litre Format 30 tanks

OVERVIEW

Our existing client has 2 tanks to supply water to the entire hotel, the original system did not allow the tanks to be isolated. This resulted in any maintenance work or cleaning to be carried out during the night as the entire water supply needed to be shutdown.

Client informed us of a leak in the base of tank No.1. We responded to this asap, because the 2 tanks were linked the pipework had to be altered so that tank No.2 could provide the water supply to the hotel and the leak could be fixed.

After discussions with the client; due to the leak, age and set up of the tanks, it was recommended new tanks were installed.

WHAT WAS DONE?

  • A detailed plan was put in place so the client could clearly see what was being done step by step.
  • Tank No.1 was decommissioned, stripped down and taken offsite.
  • The first new tank arrived which was assembled and plumbed on site.
  • Once Tank No.1 could supply water to the hotel, the same steps were carried out to Tank No.2.
  • Both tanks were cleaned and disinfected.
  • The alarm system was updated, and a new control panel was installed.
  • Pumps were serviced.
  • All rubbish and materials were removed.

CONSIDERATIONS

  • Work could only be carried out at certain hours due to the nature of our clients’ business
  • We had to be aware there could be delays due to the Covid-19 restrictions

RESULTS

The new system in place allows one tank to supply water to the hotel when the other tank needs to be taken out of action.

The new alarm system operates on a “3 level” alert basis, so the client will now get notified at an early stage when the water is running low to allow time for action before disruption is caused

CONCLUSION

AquaChem had to work closely with our client to ensure the organization was impacted as little as possible. Any downtime on the water supply was kept to a complete minimum and the change over was carried out during the night to avoid disruption on the guests. Both us and our clients are very happy with the work carried out and how it will be easier to maintain going forward.

Meet our Team – Barry Higgins

Want to find out more about our team?

Let us introduce Barry Higgins, our Technical Director.

Barry has been with us for 15 years and knows all the ins’ and out of the water industry. He is a key member of the team and strives to make sure all our clients are happy and any issues they have are resolved.

Have a look at out video to find out more about Barry!

 

Understanding Legionella Risk Assessments

A Legionella Risk Assessment (LRA) is carried out to identify and assess sources of potential risk of Legionella growth in a buildings’ water system.

In Ireland, a LRA is a legal requirement, outlined in The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (S.I. No. 10 of 2005) as employers, landlords & premises managers have a duty to understand, and manage, Legionella risk in their workplace.

What is Legionella?

Legionella is a form a bacteria which is found in natural aquatic environments, which means it is impossible to prevent Legionella entering man-made water systems. They are also found in purpose-built water systems, such as cooling towers and evaporative condensers.

Legionella bacteria thrive at temperatures between 20°C and 50°C, when water is below 20°C or above 50°C the bacteria will not grow.

It is vital that this is monitored & controlled as Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia can be caught from this bacterium. It can affect anyone; however, vulnerable people are more susceptible.

The infection is spread through the air from the water source and occurs when tiny droplets of water (aerosol) containing Legionella bacteria are breathed into the lungs. Legionnaires’ disease is treatable when caught early, however if left untreated it can be fatal.

AquaChem’s Microbiologist and Legionella Risk Assessor Pat Reynolds said,

“A Legionella Risk Assessment is a detailed and concise report which identifies the risk relating to Legionella in the water system and management practices at your premises, it is required to prevent the spread of Legionnaires’ disease.

Once the risks are identified we will devise a scheme for eliminating or controlling the risk.

Legionella is easy to control once the correct procedures are in place. While cases of Legionnaires disease are relatively low in Ireland, if that one case is on your premises the repercussions are severe; it’s not worth it.”

The Legionella Risk Assessment

The LRA report will illustrate the risks in the workplace in an informative yet easy to understand format, our process is outlined below:

  1. We will come on site and make sure a Duty Holder has been appointed,
  2. We will check all current paperwork and certificates,
  3. A thorough inspection of the water system will take place, depending on the size this will take from 4 hours – 2 days,
  4. The risk assessment will be prepared and consist of:
    • The detailed report including images and our recommendations on each point
    • A strategy for the premises outlining weekly / monthly tasks which the Duty Holder will be required to carry out (i.e temperature checking)
    • Information on risks and responsibilities

While a Legionella Risk Assessment is a vital document for your business, it is also important to ensure that weekly / monthly records are maintained as these will be critical should anything happen at your place of business.

If you have any further questions or would like any further information, please get in touch with our specialist team.