WATER SYSTEMS


Water purification efficiency can aid Net Zero drive


Paul Haycock, a Business Development manager with SUEZ Water Purification Technologies, discusses some of the latest water purification systems and technologies for healthcare facilities, and explains how, for instance, technical solutions for reusing purified wastewater can ‘increase available resources at a lower cost, while reducing demand on natural water reserves’.


The race is on to arrest, halt, and reverse, climate change. At last, in many areas of industry, the question is no longer whether climate change is an existential threat, but how best to tackle it. With extreme climate events taking place vividly and disturbingly for all to see on news feeds across the world, businesses and governments are increasingly looking at how to make the quickest wins and the biggest changes in the fastest time, while also building into their infrastructures the capability to cut emissions for good. Even the oil giants are having to come into line – last year, a court in The Hague ordered Royal Dutch Shell to cut its global carbon emissions by 45% by the end of 2030 compared with 2019 levels, in a landmark case brought by Friends of the Earth and over 17,000 co-plaintiffs. Addressing climate change is no longer a choice – a nice-to-have option used for virtue signalling or appealing to shareholders and customers – it is becoming a necessity enshrined in law.


Aiming for Net Zero


The NHS has already announced its goal of becoming a Net Zero organisation. Its programme to achieve this focuses on a number of key areas for reducing energy consumption, emissions and waste, and perhaps less obvious means such as digital transformation. For example, the NHS document, Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service, outlines how digitally enabled care models and channels for citizens will significantly reduce travel and journeys to physical healthcare locations, with care closer to home being delivered through remote consultations and monitoring. The plans also explain how an upgrade to lighting across the NHS estate, including a widescale use of LED lights, can save 34 kt CO2


e (carbon dioxide equivalent) – as ‘‘


The NHS has already announced its goal of becoming a Net Zero organisation. Its programme to achieve this focuses on a number of key areas for reducing energy consumption, emissions, and waste.


well as £14.3 million in costs – per year. These examples illustrate well how the success of the NHS programme will depend crucially on the changes and gains to be made at the detailed operational level.


Of equal importance will be


improvements that can be made to both existing and new water systems. Large volumes of water are used in hospitals, so there is potential to make big steps towards Net Zero by increasing efficiency. According to the latest NHS Estates returns, almost 40 million cubic metres of water are used each year by the NHS in England alone. In the race for Net Zero, Estates and Facilities managers who are responsible for managing water supplies will be under pressure to specify and run systems that reduce the energy usage of existing water systems and, where new systems are required, to find the solutions that deliver the best long-term value.


The success of the NHS programme will depend crucially on the changes and gains to be made at the detailed operational level


64 Health Estate Journal January 2022 Potable water


Although potable water direct from mains supplies accounts for the largest proportion of this usage, a significant volume of water is used to feed water purification equipment, which is widely used across the sector for renal dialysis, decontamination and sterilisation, laboratory testing, and boiler feedwater treatment. Water purification systems generally use reverse osmosis membrane filtration, integrated with pre-treatment filters and chemical treatment, to remove chlorine from mains supplies, plus associated electronic controls, pumps, and motors. An integrated water purification system can use not only a high volume of water, but considerable quantities of electricity too. Reducing consumption is therefore essential if water purification systems are to conform to the Net Zero programme.


Working with expert suppliers To make sure that water purification systems meet the needs of the NHS Net Zero programme, hospitals need to work closely with expert suppliers, as they will be able to help provide the best


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