Water Saver Solutions expects to help a San Diego County-based hospital save more than 10 million gallons of water annually with a plan that includes installing laminar flow restrictors, retrofitting sterilizers, changing the cooling tower operation, upgrading shower heads and toilets and replacing refrigeration compressors.
The Los Angeles Times reports that hospitals — major water users, according to the EPA — are increasingly looking for ways to cut water use during the California drought.
One such hospital is Oceanside’s Tri-City Medical Center in northern San Diego County, which brought in Long Beach-based Water Saver Solutions to help it find ways to improve water efficiency. Water Saver Solutions general manager William Cordray says his company has performed about 50 water audits at Southern California hospitals over the last five years.
After the audit, Water Saver Solutions helped the hospital develop a water saving plan. When rebates and incentives are added in, most of the improvement costs will be recouped in about a year, according to Chris Miechowski, Tri-City’s director of facilities.
In other efforts to improve hospitals’ efficiency, Michigan-based Spectrum Health saved $692,000 through Green the OR, a Practice Greenhealth initiative that focuses on reducing cost, waste and exposure to hazardous chemicals in the operating room.
Photo Credit: hospital via Shutterstock
