Patent ID: 7927496

Claim:
A method for reducing effects of an enzyme produced by a collection of microorganisms attached to a surface in an industrial water environment, the method comprising: causing a substance formed by the reaction of a hypochlorite oxidant and an ammonium salt to contact said collection of microorganisms when attached to said surface in said industrial water environment by intermittently feeding said substance into water in said industrial water environment, wherein: said industrial water environment includes planktonic microorganisms, during each feeding of said intermittently feeding said substance, said substance is fed for a duration and at a concentration sufficient to substantially eliminate the production of said enzyme by said collection of microorganisms until the next feeding of said intermittently feeding said substance, but insufficient to completely eradicate said collection of microorganisms and insufficient to inactivate said enzyme, said substance is introduced into said water in said industrial water environment periodically with a duty cycle of less than 1:10; and viable counts of said planktonic microorganisms increase and activity of said enzyme decreases in said water during said intermittently feeding said substance; thereby inhibiting the development of a biofilm.