Free residual chlorine and bromine can be generated in water from bromochlorodimethylhydantoin (BCDMH). Efficacy of chlorine from inorganic sources has been studied extensively, but there is much less information on the efficacy of bromine againstL. pneumophila; only a few efficacy studies of organically-derived. halogen appear in the literature and the results from different studies conflict or are difficult to interpret. This paper describes the efficacy of halogen from BCDMH against planktonic, pure cultureL. pneumophila in an industrial cooling water. There was no difference in efficacy between halogen derived from organic or inorganic sources in controlled laboratory experiments. Effective doses in laboratory studies cannot be translated directly to field applications because of significant differences in the microbiology. However, the data suggest that disinfection (>99.9% reduction in viability within 10 min) of planktonic, pure cultureL. pneumophila can be achieved with about 1 ppm free residual halogen (expressed as chlorine) from BCDMH in a typical industrial cooling water.