FL S1654

Requires owners of cooling towers, domestic water holding tanks, and supplemental disinfection systems in Florida to register with the Department of Health through a statewide electronic system before initial operation, with quarterly reporting of bacteriological and Legionella culture sampling results beginning July 1, 2027

Mandates owners develop or update a maintenance program and plan consistent with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2018 by September 1, 2027, including schedules for bacteriological sampling every 28 days and Legionella culture sampling at least monthly while the cooling tower is in use

Establishes tiered response requirements based on bacteriological culture levels (four levels ranging from under 10,000 CFU/mL to over 1 million CFU/mL) and Legionella culture levels (three levels ranging from under 20 CFU/mL to over 1,000 CFU/mL), with escalating corrective actions including increased biocides, system decontamination, and mandatory notification to county health departments within 24 hours when Legionella exceeds 1,000 CFU/mL

Requires compliance inspections by qualified persons before initial startup and at least every 90 days, annual certification by November 1 each year, and 3-year recordkeeping of all sampling, inspections, and corrective actions, with civil and criminal penalties for violations assessed per day of noncompliance

Directs the State Surgeon General to submit an annual report to the Legislature by January 1 detailing registrations, certifications, Legionella test results exceeding thresholds, violations cited, and the number of legionellosis cases diagnosed statewide, along with recommendations for rule improvements