Changes to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act: What they mean

Page contents: Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 | Proposed Public Health & Wellbeing Regulations

Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008

When the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 commences on 1 January 2010:

• The Department of Health (formerly part of the Department of Human Services) will take over the management of the register of cooling tower systems from the Building Commission. 
• Risk management plans will need to incorporate the actions required to be taken in response to unsatisfactory test results.  A new risk management plan template will be incorporated in a revised “A Guide to Developing Risk Management Plans for Cooling Tower Systems” which will be available on our web site towards the end of this year.

Proposed Public Health & Wellbeing Regulations

The new legislation which regulates the maintenance and testing of cooling tower systems is also proposed to commence on 1 January 2010.  The changes will mean:

• The ‘trigger’ for remedial action following a ‘high’ Heterotrophic Colony Count (HCC) will increase from 100,000 cfu/ml to 200,000 cfu/ml;
• Increased flexibility following the first ‘high’ HCC result if the system is ‘slug dosed’ immediately after the sample is taken.  See the flow chart on our website for a detailed description of these changes;
• The response to a second consecutive HCC result above 200,000 cfu/ml will change to allow an online disinfection rather than the current requirement to disinfect, clean & re-disinfect;
• There must be a minimum of quarterly testing for Legionella;
• Cooling tower systems will have to be continuously treated with a bio-dispersant;
• Records of maintenance and testing will still be required to be kept, produced upon request of an authorized officer but will not need to be kept on site.