20 Ways to Reduce your

Building’s Water Footprint

A Providence St. Peter Hospital

Case Study

November 18, 2011

Geoffrey Glass

Troy Aichele

Objectives

Learn 20 strategies to conserve water and reduce water related energy consumption from 10 years of experience from Providence St. Peter Hospital

Learn general payback/return on water efficiency investments performed

Learn how to translate these savings at other healthcare facilities

Cost of Water and Sewer / 100

Gallons (2009 Case Study)

Olympia, WA: $1.00 Water and Sewer bill: $230,725

Olympia, WA: $1.00

San Diego, CA: $1.38

Boston, MA: $1.05

El Paso, TX: $0.60

Omaha, NE: $0.53

Geneva, Switzerland: $1.95

Glasgow, UK: $2.86

Las Vegas, NV: $0.80 Source: “The World’s Water 2008-2009” by Peter H. Gleick

Cost of Water and Sewer / 100

Gallons (2009 Case Study)

Olympia, WA: $1.00 Water and Sewer bill: $230,725

Olympia, WA: $1.00

San Diego, CA: $1.38

Boston, MA: $1.05

El Paso, TX: $0.60

Omaha, NE: $0.53

Geneva, Switzerland: $1.95

Glasgow, UK: $2.86

Las Vegas, NV: $0.80 Source: “The World’s Water 2008-2009” by Peter H. Gleick

2012 Data

Providence St. Peter Hospital (Olympia, WA): $1.22

2010-11 Water/Sewer Bill: $252,974

Providence Centralia Hospital (Centralia, WA): $1.40

2010-11 Water/Sewer Bill: $179,376

Utility Rate Trends… Utility Rate Trends

$-

$1.00

$2.00

$3.00

$4.00

$5.00

$6.00

$7.00

$8.00

$9.00

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

PeakWater$/CCFSewer$/CCF

Estimated

10%

increase

for 2009

10%

Water

Waste

Utility Rate Trend Impacts

U.S. Water Footprint

(per person/per day):

70-100 GPD

18

Increase in Waste Water Treatment

Capacities (Brightwater)

Cost: $1.84 Billion

Drought / Overuse

The U.S. EPA reports at least 36 states are anticipating local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013—even under

non-drought conditions

New Water Sources:

Drilling New Wells

New Water Sources:

Reclaimed Purple Piping Systems

New Water Sources:

Desalination

Sewer mining is the process of tapping into a sewer (either before

or after the sewage treatment plant) and extracting sewage, which

is then treated and used as recycled water. Some sewer mining

by-products may be acceptable for return to the sewerage system.

Recycled water is treated so it’s safe to use. Recycled water

produced from a sewer mining operation is commonly used to

irrigate sports fields, parks and golf courses. It can also be used in

some commercial buildings and industrial sites.

Sewer mining reduces the stress on waterways by capturing some

of the nutrients that would otherwise be discharged from sewage

treatment plants. The demand for drinking water can be

significantly reduced, by replacing it with recycled water made

available through sewer mining processes.

New Water Sources:

Sewer Mining

340 Licensed Bed

Acute Care Facility

750,000 SF Total Floor

Space

2300 Employees

723 Fixture upgrades

were performed in the

first 3 months of 2009

Providence St. Peter Hospital

Water Consumption 2008-2009

Water consumption in 2009 was 3,391,000 gallons less than in 2008

Meanwhile…..

Patient census increased 4.2% in 2009

Providence St. Peter Hospital

Water and Sewer Usage

(1998-2009) PSPH has reduced their water consumption or avoided water use 59% (over 31 Million gallons conserved)

Campus grew 17%

Patient Days have increased 22% within last 5 years

Water and Sewer Cost Savings: $139,539/ year

Total Accumulated 11-Year Savings = $1,534,933

2008/09 Water Consumption

Comparison (Per 1000 Gallons) Month 2009 2008 Change

January 2,278 2,712 -16.00%

February 2,244 2,470 -9.15%

March 2,431 2,691 -9.66%

April 2,248 2,672 -15.85%

May 2,688 3,094 -13.14%

June 2,874 3,272 -12.16%

Totals: 14,766 16,914 -12.70%

2008/09 Water Consumption

Comparison (Per 1000 Gallons) Month 2009 2008 Change

July 3,227 3,610 -10.6%

August 3,181 3,480 -8.59%

September 2,814 3,058 -7.97%

October 2,517 2,599 -3.16%

November 2,256 2,400 -6.02%

December 2,276 2,421 -5.96 %

Totals: 16,321 17,568 -7.1%

1998 – 2009 Water Savings

(Per 1000 Gallons)

Years Start End Change

1998 – 2000 62,203 53,652 -13.7%

2000 – 2002 53,652 47,109 -12.1%

2002 – 2004 47,109 39,098 -17.0%

2004 – 2006 39,098 33,329 -14.8%

2006 – 2008 33,329 34,498 +3.50%

2008 – 2009 34,498 31,034 -10.0%

Totals: 269,889 238,720 -11.5%

21st Century Water Auditor

Perform Facility Water Audit

Benchmarking

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 500,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000

Gallo

ns

Hospital Size (Square Feet)

Gallons Used / Square Foot / Year

Analyze Facility for Leaks

Analyze Facility for Leaks

Approximate Cost: $3,680

Approximate Water/Sewer

Savings: 900 GPD

Payback Period: 1.1 Years

Water-Cooled Ice-Makers,

Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration

Equipment

Vacuum Sterilizers Retrofit Four existing vacuum sterilizers. Removed orifice venturi

and replaced with electric vacuum pumps and piped condensate to

receiver and pumped back to boiler plant

Cost: $30,232

Water/Sewer Savings: 4,320 GPD

Payback Period: 1.9 Years

Medical Instrument Washers

(Night Setback)

1.1/1.6 GPF Dual-Flush

Flushometer Retrofit Kits

Cost: $111

Water/Sewer Savings: 6.4 GPD

Payback Period: 4.75 Years

Pint Urinals

Cost: $1,330

Water/Sewer Savings: 27.4 GPD

Payback Period: 13.50 Years

Dual-Flush Flushometers

Cost: $644 (Including WC)

Water/Sewer Savings: 26.8 GPD

Payback Period: 6.78 Years

1.28 GPF Water Closets

High Efficiency Shower Heads

Cost: $78

Water/Sewer Savings: 10 GPD

Payback Period: 2.14 Years

Faucets – Flow Control

Cost: $65

Water/Sewer Savings: 4.0 GPD

Payback Period: 4.45 Years

Sensor Activated

Public Faucets Sensor Activated

Public Water

Closets

Maintenance Problems

None!

User Negative Feedback

None!

Irrigation (Xeriscaping) I Limit lawns to high exposure areas

Plant native landscaping material

Irrigation (Xeriscaping) II

Green Cleaning (Microfiber Mop)

Cost: $20

Water/Sewer Savings: 20 to 1

Gallons per use: 1

Payback Period: Immediate

Sustainability Coordinator

Evaluate staff water

wasting habits in

high use areas of

Sterile Processing,

Dialysis, Food

Services, and

Environmental

Services

Deduct Meters (Cooling Towers and

Irrigation Systems

Increase Cooling Tower and

Boiler Cycles of Concentration

Work closely with your water

treatment advisor to minimize

make-up water to these systems

Kitchen Equipment

Cost: $120,000

Water/Sewer Savings: 1,800 GPD

Payback Period (Water and Sewer

Only): 18.26 Years

Kitchen Equipment

Medical Equipment (Vacuum Pumps)

Approximate

Cost: $40,000

Approximate

Water/Sewer

Savings:

2,880 GPD

Approximate

Payback

Period:

3.80 Years

Specify waterless vacuum pumps (such as the Claw) or water

recycling systems for vacuum pump cooling

Medical Equipment

(Air Compressors)

Approximate Cost:

$40,000

Approximate

Water/Sewer

Savings: 2,160

GPD

Approximate

Payback Period:

4.97 Years

Medical Equipment

Waste Anesthesia Gas (WAG) Pumps

Approximate Cost:

$30,000

Approximate

Water/Sewer

Savings: 1,440 GPD

Payback Period: 5.71

Years

Other Opportunities for

Water Conservation

• Rainwater Harvesting

• Sub-Metering

• Dialysis Reject Water

• Laundry Water Reuse

• Air Handling Unit Condensate Recovery

• New Products

Lessons

Learned

Additional Stickers

Post-Installation

Flushometer Adjustments

Water

Lowering GPF without changing bowl

Fixture Footprints

are not all the same

System Shut-downs vs. Freezing

Beta-Testing

Problematic Existing Conditions

Aerators vs. Flow Control

Straying from Water Audit Recommendations

Payback Thresholds: Owner Furnished Fixtures / Equipment

Buyer Beware: Small Water Spots = More Maintenance

Dual-Flush Tank-Type

Retrofit Kits

Putting Water Efficiency

Ahead of User or Building needs

Additional References

• “Water Use and Conservation” by Amy Vickers

• “Dry Run – Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis” by

Jerry Yudelson

• “Every Drop for Sale” by Jeffrey Rothfeder

• “The World’s Water….” Bi-Annual Series 1998 – Present

by Peter H. Gleick

• “Globalization of Water” by Arjen Y. Hoekstra and Ashok

K. Chapagain

• www.waterefficiency.net

• www.watersmartinnovations.com

161

@WaterAuditor

…..or

• “Providence Health & Services has two patients, the medical patient and earth. To heal one without the other will not last”.

Janine Benyus, Author, Biomimicry-Innovation Inspired by Nature in conversation with Richard Beam, Director of Energy Management Services for Providence at the 2005 Inland NW Sustainability Conference, Boise, ID.