A practical framework for a cooling-water programme that remains technically and operationally manageable.
1. Start with a water balance
Map make-up water, evaporation, blowdown and any process losses. Without a reliable water balance, cycles of concentration are difficult to assess.
2. Check scaling risk
Assess not only hardness, but also pH, alkalinity, temperature and local concentration in heat exchangers.
3. Monitor corrosion
Combine water chemistry with materials knowledge, corrosion coupons or other suitable monitoring methods.
4. Control microbiology
Document the dosing strategy, contact time, measurements and action limits. Biofilm requires more than an occasional response to a high count.
5. Ensure reproducible dosing
Check pump flow, tank level, injection point and control strategy. A good product with variable dosing produces variable results.
6. Manage by performance
Use trends for conductivity, temperature, pressure drop, water consumption and relevant quality measurements. Link deviations to specific actions.