Cooling towers are used widely across a range of industries in Victoria and can account for up to 50 per cent of many site’s total water usage. Cooling towers are typically used for air conditioning, refrigeration of goods and industrial cooling and can use between 5,000 and 10,000 litres per day.

However, cooling towers are not always used efficiently or optimally, and with water being a valuable resource in Victoria, simple adjustments to cooling towers can save substantial amounts of water and money.

In 2007, the Victorian Government initiated the Cooling Tower System Water Efficiency Program, in partnership with the Australian Institute of Refrigeration and Heating (AIRAH) and Victorian water corporations. By assisting owners and operators of cooling towers to implement effective water treatment programs, the benefits included:

• longer retention of biocide, resulting in better protection against Legionella contamination
• lower water consumption and costs from reduced tower bleed-off and leaks
• reduction in the generation of sewage and trade waste.

A key outcome of the program was a development of best practice guideline to assist the owners and operators of cooling towers in reducing the water consumption of cooling systems while retaining required performance.

Water Conservation in Cooling Towers (PDF~2.2MB)

Cooling Tower Water Efficiency Calculator

The online Cooling Tower Water Efficiency Calculator (CTWEC) has been developed by AIRAH, in partnership with the Victorian Government and water corporations to enable property owners and managers to easily assess the water efficiency of any cooling tower relative to its operational capabilities, which can be checked at any time.

The online tool is available free of charge at www.mycoolingtower.com.au.