Corrosion of cooling water systems has been evaluated in terms of parameters that may control
microbially induced corrosion (MIC) in these systems. Results from tests on parameters such as flow
and dead leg geometry suggest that mass transfer throughout a system determines whether MIC bacteria
are more or less active. The preconditioning of the steel surface also appears to affect MIC by the
sulphate reducing bacteria. These results aid in identifying locations where MIC would be prevalent in
process water systems and may also provide a justification for selecting locations for corrosion
monitoring.