Florida Announces Companion Bills to Strengthen Water Safety for Cooling Towers and Building Water Systems 

PLANTATION, FL / [January 13, 2026] / Water Safety Association of Florida (WSAF) today announced the introduction of companion legislation in the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate to establish statewide baseline requirements for cooling towers, domestic water holding tanks, and supplemental disinfection systems. The bills would create a new framework for registration, reporting, maintenance planning, testing, inspections, and notification when Legionella results exceed defined thresholds. 

Florida faces elevated risk from waterborne pathogens due to climate and the concentration of high-rise housing, hospitals, senior living communities, and large campuses. WSAF notes that Florida currently lacks a statewide cooling-tower registry or a mandated water-management reporting system, and that a centralized, technology-driven approach can improve visibility and early-warning coordination for public-health response. 

“Preventing waterborne disease requires consistent baseline practices and better statewide visibility,” said Daniel Joseph Kane, President & CEO of the Water Safety Association of Florida. “These bills are intended to set clear expectations for registration, monitoring, maintenance planning, and response actions—so problems are identified earlier and addressed faster.” 

If enacted, the companion bills would: 

• Require owners to register covered systems in a statewide electronic system designated by the Florida Department of Health, with data accessible to county health departments. 
• Require owners to maintain records for at least three years, including sampling results, disinfection schedules, inspection findings, corrective actions, and certifications. 
• Establish routine bacteriological culture sampling while systems are in use (at intervals not more than 28 days) and routine Legionella culture sampling (monthly while in use), with response actions based on results. 
• Require notification to the county health department within 24 hours after receiving a Legionella result that exceeds 1,000 CFU/mL, and public notification in a manner determined by the health department. 
• Require routine inspections of cooling towers while in use (at intervals not more than every 90 days) and annual certification each year by November 1 beginning in 2026. 
• Set key implementation dates including an effective date of July 1, 2026, and 90-day reporting beginning July 1, 2027. 

WSAF encourages building owners, facility managers, healthcare and senior-living operators, public agencies, and water-management professionals to review the proposed legislation and participate in stakeholder discussions focused on practical implementation and measurable public-health protection. 

About Water Safety Association of Florida (WSAF) 

Water Safety Association of Florida (WSAF) is a Florida not-for-profit organization established to protect Florida residents, workers, patients, and visitors by improving building water system safety and reducing Legionella and other waterborne risks. WSAF supports best practices, training, and implementation approaches related to cooling towers, domestic water holding tanks, and supplemental disinfection systems. 

The primary target is not standard residential plumbing, but rather large, intricate water systems servicing a broad population, such as those found in hospitals, hotels, high-rise buildings, senior living communities, and expansive campuses.

Address 

Water Safety Association of Florida 
7901 SW 6th Court, Suite 350 
Plantation, FL 33324 

Contact Information 

Water Safety Association of Florida (WSAF) 

Contact: Careline Romain | Phone: (954) 304-3414 | Email: careline.romain@floridawatersafety.org 

Contact: Daniel Kane | Phone: 561-492-7382 | Email: daniel.kane@floridawatersafety.org