Patent ID: 8444858

Claim:
A method of inhibiting the development of a biofilm adjacent a surface of a solid in an industrial water environment by a collection of microorganisms comprising: generating a biofilm inhibiting substance by mixing a hypochlorite oxidant and an ammonium salt; and intermittently applying said biofilm inhibiting substance to water in contact with said collection of microorganisms, said microorganisms having the capability to produce an enzyme selected from the group consisting of: a hydrogen-peroxide degrading enzyme, catalase, dehydrogenase, peroxidase, a starch degrading enzyme and amylase; wherein said biofilm inhibiting substance is applied to said water periodically with a duty cycle of less than 1:10, the duty cycle being the ratio between (a) the amount of time the biofilm inhibiting substance is administered and (b) the amount of time the biofilm inhibiting substance is not administered; wherein said collection of microorganisms is not completely eradicated, said selected enzyme is not deactivated, while the enzyme-producing potential of said collection of micro-organisms is completely inhibited, and notwithstanding that said collection of microorganisms is not completely eradicated, development of a biofilm adjacent said surface is inhibited.