The Essential Guide to Cooling Tower Water Treatment and Control Systems

Cooling towers are vital to efficient industrial and commercial operations—supporting everything from data centres to manufacturing plants. But without effective water treatment and intelligent control systems, these essential assets can quickly become costly liabilities.

Proper cooling tower water treatment protects equipment, reduces energy costs, enhances safety, and ensures compliance. This guide explains why water treatment matters, how modern control systems work, and what to look for in a trusted solution provider.

Why Cooling Tower Water Treatment Is Critical

Cooling towers remove heat through evaporation. As water evaporates, minerals, contaminants, and microorganisms become concentrated, creating several operational risks if not properly controlled.

Four Major Risks of Untreated Cooling Tower Water

1. Scale Formation and Efficiency Loss

As water evaporates, minerals such as calcium and magnesium deposit onto heat transfer surfaces. Even a thin layer of scale acts as insulation, reducing efficiency and increasing energy consumption by 10–20%.
This leads to:

• Higher electricity costs
• Reduced cooling capacity
• Increased strain on equipment

2. Corrosion and Premature Equipment Failure

Untreated water creates corrosive conditions that damage metal components throughout the system. Corrosion causes:

• Leaks and component failures
• Unplanned downtime
• Costly repairs and replacements
• Structural integrity issues

3. Legionella and Harmful Microbial Growth

Cooling towers provide ideal conditions for bacteria—especially Legionella pneumophila, the cause of Legionnaires’ disease. This is a serious public health risk and subject to strict regulation in Australia and the Asia-Pacific.

Effective treatment and monitoring are essential to:

• Meet regulatory compliance
• Protect building occupants
• Reduce legal and health risks

4. Biofouling and System Degradation

Biofilms form when microorganisms colonise cooling tower surfaces. Biofouling leads to:

• Clogged pipes and reduced water flow
• Increased corrosion rates
• Poor heat transfer efficiency
• Elevated maintenance requirements

Advanced Cooling Tower Control Systems: The Aquarius Technologies Advantage

Aquarius Technologies has over 30 years of experience designing cooling tower water treatment and control systems built for Australian conditions.

Our ULTIMA and UNIQ controller ranges provide intelligent, reliable, and automated solutions for facilities of all sizes.

Key Features of Modern Cooling Tower Control

Live Corrosion Monitoring

Traditional corrosion control relies on periodic testing. Modern Aquarius controllers provide real-time corrosion monitoring, helping facility managers identify issues early and prevent costly damage.

PTSA-Tagged Inhibitor Dosing

PTSA-tagged inhibitors allow controllers to measure actual inhibitor levels—not just how much chemical was added.

Benefits include:

• Accurate dosing to a setpoint
• Preventing under-dosing and over-dosing
• Reduced chemical waste
• Stable system protection regardless of evaporation or bleed-off

Automated Chemical Stock Management

Running out of treatment chemical can compromise both safety and compliance. Aquarius controllers monitor tank levels and send alerts when stocks are low—so treatment is never interrupted.

Full BMS Integration and Remote Access

Our controllers integrate seamlessly with facility Building Management Systems (BMS) and allow remote access for:

• Multi-site monitoring
• Real-time alerts
• Remote troubleshooting
• Centralised reporting

Flexible Solutions for Every Facility

Aquarius Technologies offers scalable solutions tailored to your operational needs.

Standalone Controllers

Ideal for smaller commercial buildings needing reliable control without complex integrations.

Multi-Tower Integrated Systems

Perfect for sites with multiple cooling towers requiring coordinated dosing, centralised reporting, and optimised chemical use.

Fully Automated Industrial Systems

For manufacturing, data centres, and other mission-critical environments, our fully automated systems integrate directly with industrial process controls.

The Business Case for Advanced Cooling Tower Control

Implementing a modern treatment and control system delivers measurable operational, financial, and compliance benefits.

Reduced Operating Costs

• Improved heat transfer efficiency
• Lower energy usage
• Optimised chemical consumption
• Fewer service callouts

Extended Equipment Life

Preventing corrosion and scale dramatically increases the lifespan of cooling towers, chillers, and heat exchangers.

Regulatory Compliance

Advanced controllers support compliance with Australian Legionella and water quality regulations through:

• Automated monitoring
• Continuous logging
• Key parameter reporting

Lower Risk and Better Reliability

Early detection of system issues allows planned maintenance, reducing:

• Downtime
• Production loss
• Safety incidents

Industries That Rely on Advanced Cooling Tower Control

Aquarius solutions support diverse industries across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, including:

Data Centres

Where uptime is critical and cooling loads are constant.

Manufacturing and Industrial Processing

Pharmaceutical, food, and precision production facilities requiring consistent cooling.

Commercial Buildings

Hospitals, schools, shopping centres, and office buildings with continuous cooling needs.

Power Generation

High-demand, high-capacity cooling systems where efficiency directly impacts output.

Choosing the Right Cooling Tower Control Partner

A control system is only as strong as the team behind it. When selecting a provider, look for:

Proven Experience

Decades of field expertise across multiple industries.

Comprehensive Capabilities

From basic pH control to multi-parameter monitoring and automation.

Local Service and Support

Fast response times and ongoing site support.

Custom Engineering

Tailored solutions for unique system requirements.

Take the Next Step

Whether you’re upgrading an aging system, building new infrastructure, or seeking to improve performance, modern cooling tower control systems deliver long-term value.

A professional assessment can identify immediate opportunities to improve efficiency, streamline operations, and strengthen compliance.