Water
How Healthcare Uses Water
Healthcare facilities consistently fall within the top ten consumers of water in the community, according to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. The healthcare sector employs many water-use functions including food service, laundry, water purification, process water for vacuum systems, cooling towers, boilers, image processing for x-rays, sterilizing, as well as hygiene practices for patients, staff, and facilities. Healthcare facility water use varies widely depending on type, size, geographical location and water use equipment/practices. A water use study published in 2002 showed a range of water use from 68,750 to 298,013 gallons per year per bed for hospitals in the size range of 133 to 510 beds. A 2009 estimate found that hospitals generate approximately 51 gallons per gross square foot, and Practice Greenhealth’s 2010 Benchmark Report found that its award-winning hospitals utilized an average of 441 gallons per staffed bed per day or 353 gallons per adjusted patient day (APD).
In terms of where that water is used within the hospital, the 2002 study indicated that hospitals typically use 25% of their water for domestic use (sinks, showers and toilets) and 75% for non-domestic –or process use (including boilers, chillers, food services, operating rooms, sterile processing and radiology).
As only about 1% of the water on Earth is fresh water, maintaining an adequate potable water supply is a basic necessity for the health of individuals and communities. Processing potable water is energy intensive, in terms of the treatment, delivery and maintenance of the water systems, yet only about 20% of current urban water is used for drinking and sanitary purposes, with the other 80% not actually requiring treatment to potable standards for such uses as landscape irrigation.
Hospitals that have conducted successful water use reduction programs have been able to reduce water use by approximately 20 to 30 percent. For large facilities, this can translate to over $100,000 per year savings in water, sewer and energy costs. Based on published reports, health care facilities that implement water conservation changes can expect a return on investment in the range of approximately 25% – 40%. Practice Greenhealth award-winning hospitals reported an average savings of $0.25 per staffed bed per day resulting from water conservation projects currently underway—for a 200-bed hospital this would translate to $50 per day or more than $18,000 per year.
Learn more about how your facility can effectively track its water use, benchmark its water performance and identify new ways to reduce its water usage.
