Hospitals and other healthcare facilities account for 7% of the total water use in commercial and institutional facilities in the United States. The historically low cost of water and concerns about waterborne diseases, especially legionella, have kept many healthcare systems from prioritizing water efficiency measures. Better Buildings partners are proving that healthcare facilities can achieve significant water savings without jeopardizing water quality or patient care. By implementing water conservation measures, some of which can also lead to energy savings, healthcare facility managers can conserve an essential resource and generate significant operational cost savings.
The Healthcare Water Efficiency and Program Management Toolkit collects Better Buildings partner experiences and other valuable resources to provide guidance tailored to the Healthcare sector for efficient water management while maintaining control of infection. Resources include:
- Better Buildings partner case studies – Partners such as The Tower Companies, Welltower, and Metrus Energy share their success stories and proven, real-world strategies. Examples of energy management best practices for water monitoring, measuring building performance, and integrating water efficiency into an ESA and green lease are outlined.
- A collection of resources from the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and EPA’s WaterSense at Work – These address best water management practices by facility type, water efficiency technology opportunities, and case studies that can assist the healthcare sector with operations. The principles in these resources have applications beyond healthcare facilities.
- Webinars and Videos – These include the recent Better Buildings Webinar on Benchmarking Water that reviews partner insights on water management strategies.
- And more – Additional Information and guidance related to infection control, water efficiency, and emergency water supply planning can be found within.
Various stakeholders throughout healthcare systems can benefit directly from water efficiency measures. The Healthcare Water Efficiency and Program Management Toolkit is an aggregate of resources that can assist healthcare facilities in taking advantage of the financial incentives associated with implementing water management best-practices to improve their efficiency, reduce costs, and mitigate the spread of dangerous disease.
For more information on water efficiency, visit the Better Buildings Water Savings Initiative.