The objective of this Cooling Committee Technical Paper is to outline a water treatment management plan designed to improve program performance and limit liability concerns at cooling water accounts by establishing a Shared Responsibility Management Agreement between the Water Treatment Service Company (WTSC) and the Facility Management Staff (FMS).

• Demonstrate to both the WTSC and the FMS the performance, economic and liability benefits obtained by operating under a Shared Responsibility Management Agreement.
• Provide both the WTSC and the FMS with the written tools and documents needed to successfully develop and operate under a Shared Responsibility Management Agreement.
• Reengage the FMS in the oversight of their own cooling water management program.

Ken Soeder will be presenting on behalf of the Cooling Committee.

In all open recirculating cooling water systems, even the most technically-advanced water treatment products will not make up for poor product application or inconsistent system control. Without proper oversight, cooling water systems can quickly become susceptible to a wide range of operating problems, including increased corrosion rates, scaling and deposition problems, and increased microbiological activity. Over time, these problems can contribute to shortened equipment service life, increased electric and water consumption rates, poor product quality, and even possible health concerns, such as Legionnaires’ disease. In worst case scenarios, these problems can even lead to costly and time-consuming litigation. These types of problems can be most apparent in small to mid-sized accounts, where the Water Treatment Service Company (WTSC) may only conduct service visits on a bi-weekly, monthly or even quarterly basis, and program oversight by the Facility Management Staff (FMS) is now typically modest or even non-existent.

However, proper system control and excellent results still can be achieved if the WTSC and FMS work together to fully identify, understand, and document their individual responsibilities for program supervision, testing, and reporting. Effective control of water treatment systems in any facility requires both the product and technical expertise of the WTSC and the day-to-day oversight of the FMS. The WTSC has the background and knowledge to select an appropriate water treatment program, supply the necessary products, set up the required system monitoring and testing equipment, and to periodically visit the site to review program compliance.  The FMS is present at the building on a daily basis, and is actually in the best position to ensure that the water treatment program is operating as designed. As such, the knowledge, expertise, and time commitment of both entities working together is ultimately required if the program is to be successful.

The AWT Shared Responsibility Water Treatment Agreement, developed by the Cooling Committee, is essentially a signed document developed between the WTSC and the FMS which outlines the tests and tasks that are to be performed on a routine basis by each responsible party. It recognizes that the WTSC cannot be at the facility each and every day, so certain tasks must be performed by the FMS to ensure the consistent and successful operation of the cooling water treatment program. The objective of this document is to present written guidelines that outline the specific tests and tasks that should be conducted by each party to insure the successful operation of the water treatment program. It must be stressed here that we are presenting “Guidelines” that are to be used by the individual WTSC and FMS to develop a program that is specific and useful to their water treatment program and building staffing requirements. Not all of the test procedures or oversight tasks outlined on each Guideline needs to be incorporated into the final agreement. You may even wish to include some new test procedures or tasks of your own that are not even listed on the current Guidelines. However, many of the routine tests outlines in the agreement, such as conductivity, pH, temperature and ORP measurements, can now be conducted using modern digital system controllers with data logging and cloud reporting capabilities. As the size of the cooling water system increases, and more routine service visits are provided by the WTSC, the overall burden of program testing and oversight on the FMS is reduced.

With a properly prepared and executed “Shared Responsibility Management Agreement” between the WTSC and FMS, both parties should have a document that clearly outlines specific testing and task responsibilities, improves program performance, and minimizes the possibility of legal action. Once completed, the Shared Responsibility Management Agreement can then be used as a stand-alone document, or more commonly as an addendum page in a new proposal or contract.

Ken Soeder will be presenting on behalf of the Cooling Committee. Mr. Soeder is the Senior Technical Advisor of Jamestown Technologies, an integrated manufacturer and supplier of chemicals, process control equipment and customer support services used in commercial and industrial water treatment applications located in West Haven, CT. During Mr. Soeder’s thirty seven year involvement in the water treatment industry, he has published more than 12 technical papers on corrosion, deposit, and microbiological control in various handling water systems, and has also been granted two United States patents for new product developments. Mr. Soeder has experience in treating many different types of water handling equipment, including large cooling towers and boilers associated commercial, industrial, and power generation operations, waste water treatment systems, groundwater remediation applications, and potable water services.

Mr. Soeder graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) Oneonta with Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, and has also received a Master of Science Degree in Water Resource Management from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse. Mr. Soeder has also earned the prestigious Certified Water Technologist (CWT) credential presented by the Association of Water Technologies (AWT). Mr. Soeder is also a twenty year active participant in the AWT’s important Cooling Water Technical Committee, and a member of the American Chemical Society. Just recently Mr. Soeder served as a contributing author for the AWT’s Legionella 2019 Position Paper.