Cooling Tower Water Treatment for WELL & LEED Buildings
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Cooling Tower Water Treatment for WELL & LEED Certified Buildings
Pursuing WELL or LEED certification? Your cooling tower is one of the systems assessors look at closely. It is a major water user and a known breeding ground for Legionella.
Elgressy EST (Electrolysis Scale Treatment) controls scale, corrosion and biofouling without chemical dosing, helping your building meet the health targets of WELL and the water-saving targets of LEED.
Chemical-free cooling tower treatment for WELL projects
Projects pursuing WELL v2 must manage Legionella risk in every system that recirculates and aerosolises water, and cooling towers are first on that list. Elgressy EST keeps cooling water clean, scale-free and low-corrosion without dosing chemicals, giving your water management plan a stronger, simpler foundation.
Important: WELL certifies buildings, not products
WELL Certification is awarded by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to a building or space, after on-site performance verification. It is not a product certification. No water treatment system, including EST, can be “WELL certified”. What EST does is help your building meet WELL’s water requirements.
What is WELL?
The WELL Building Standard™, run by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), certifies buildings and workplaces on how well they protect the health of the people inside them, across air, water, light, thermal comfort and more.
The Water Concept
WELL’s Water concept covers drinking water quality, moisture and hygiene. Feature W03 Basic Water Management is a precondition, which means every WELL project must meet it to be certified.
Why cooling towers matter
W03 requires a Legionella management plan for cooling towers, hot water systems, fountains, misters and similar devices. A tower full of scale and biofilm is the hardest part of that plan to keep under control.
How Elgressy EST supports your WELL water plan
EST (Electrolysis Scale Treatment) removes hardness and scale from the circulating water by electrolysis, so heat-exchange surfaces stay clean and the conditions Legionella thrive in are reduced.
- No treatment chemicals stored, handled or dosed on site, so fewer occupant and staff exposure risks
- Clean, scale-free surfaces that limit the biofilm where Legionella colonises
- Corrosion held to max. 2 mpy, protecting pipework and tower life
- Lower water and energy use through higher cycles of concentration and efficient chillers
- Full commissioning report and operator training, ready to slot into your documented water management plan
Proven and independently reviewed
Elgressy has engineered water treatment since 1987, with thousands of systems installed worldwide. The EST-N system has been examined and approved by the IFC (International Finance Corporation).
Water Treatment Asia (ALA) has been the exclusive Elgressy distributor in Southeast Asia since 2010, serving hospitals, power plants, data centres and factories across Thailand.
Where EST fits in WELL v2
| WELL v2 feature | What it asks for | How EST helps |
|---|---|---|
| W03 Basic Water Management (precondition), Part 2 | A Legionella management plan for cooling towers and other recirculating, aerosolising water systems | Keeps tower water and surfaces clean and scale-free; commissioning data and operating procedures feed directly into the plan |
| Materials & occupant health (general WELL intent) | Reduce occupant exposure to hazardous substances | Removes routine biocide and anti-scalant chemical handling from the building |
| Supporting green goals (LEED, IFC EDGE) | Water and energy efficiency | Higher cycles of concentration cut blow-down; clean condensers keep chillers efficient |
WELL Building Standard™, WELL™ and International WELL Building Institute™ are trademarks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries. Water Treatment Asia is not affiliated with or endorsed by IWBI. Elgressy EST is not a WELL-certified product; WELL certification is awarded to buildings and projects. A Legionella management plan also requires regular inspection and testing as set out by WELL and local regulations.
Why cooling towers matter for certified buildings
Health risk
Warm, recirculating water and aerosol drift make cooling towers a common source of Legionella.
Water use
Evaporation and blowdown make the cooling tower one of the largest water consumers in a commercial building.
Chemical load
Conventional treatment adds biocides, scale and corrosion inhibitors to the water and to the discharge.
Efficiency loss
Scale insulates condenser tubes and raises chiller energy use.
EST supports your WELL Legionella management plan (W03)
Under WELL v2, Legionella control is a precondition: no building is certified without it. Feature W03, Basic Water Management, requires a Legionella management plan that covers cooling towers, hot water systems and any other place where water is recirculated and turned into aerosol. Where the building operates its own cooling towers, the plan must also include a Legionella sampling schedule.
WELL does not prescribe a specific treatment method. It asks you to show results. That is where EST fits.
- Continuous control, 24/7: EST treats the water all the time, with no dosing gaps or empty chemical drums.
- Clean surfaces: By controlling scale and biofilm, EST removes the deposits where Legionella shelters and multiplies.
- Fewer chemicals in the building: Less handling and storage of hazardous biocides by your maintenance team.
- Documentation ready: ALA provides a commissioning handover report and operator training, giving your WELL plan clear records of how the cooling tower is treated and maintained.
EST forms the treatment backbone of your plan. Routine monitoring and Legionella sampling, as required by WELL, remain part of good practice.
EST helps you earn LEED cooling tower water points
LEED rewards buildings that run their cooling towers at higher cycles of concentration. Cycles measure how many times water is reused before it is bled off. More cycles means less blowdown, less make-up water and a lower water bill.
In LEED v5, the Enhanced Water Efficiency credit includes options to limit and optimize cooling tower water use, worth up to 2 points for new construction and up to 3 points for core and shell. Earlier versions (LEED v4 / v4.1) award points under the Cooling Tower Water Use credit.
The limit on cycles is usually scale: minerals such as calcium and silica build up as water evaporates. EST controls scale continuously, so the tower can safely run at higher cycles without chemical overdosing.
| What LEED looks for | How EST helps |
|---|---|
| Higher cycles of concentration | Continuous scale control allows higher cycles safely |
| Lower make-up water and blowdown | Less bleed-off means less fresh water bought |
| Equipment that can operate at the chosen cycles | EST protects against corrosion (guaranteed max. 2 mpy) |
| Efficient cooling plant | Clean condenser tubes keep chiller energy use low |
Exact points depend on your make-up water analysis and LEED version. ALA can supply the water analysis and cycles calculation for your LEED consultant.
Why ALA and Elgressy
Proven technology
Elgressy, founded in 1987, has thousands of EST systems installed worldwide.
Independently reviewed
The Elgressy EST-N systems were examined and approved by the IFC (International Finance Corporation).
Local partner
ALA has been the exclusive Elgressy distributor in Southeast Asia since 2010.
Full handover
Every project includes a commissioning handover report plus theoretical and practical operator training.
How we work with your certification team
Site survey & water analysis
We test your make-up and circulating water.Proposal & cycles calculation
We size the EST system and estimate water, chemical and energy savings.Installation & commissioning
Delivered with a full handover report.Training & support
Your operators and your WELL/LEED consultant receive the documentation they need.
Frequently asked questions
Is EST “WELL certified” or “LEED certified”?
No product can be. WELL and LEED certify buildings, not equipment. EST supports the cooling tower parts of both standards.
Does EST replace Legionella testing?
No. WELL requires a management plan and, for cooling towers, a sampling schedule. EST keeps the system clean so test results stay in control.
Can EST be retrofitted to an existing building?
Yes. EST installs on existing cooling towers, and WELL v2 is open to existing buildings as well as new ones.
How many cycles can my tower reach with EST?
It depends on your water quality. We calculate it from your water analysis.
Planning a WELL or LEED project? Talk to us before your design is fixed.
Request a free water analysis and cycles calculation.
Contact ALAEnglish: 064 284 6598 | ภาษาไทย: 063 957 8383 | Email: mk.ala@hotmail.com
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