SUSTAINABILITY
Delivering sustainable water management
Carole Armstrong, Marketing manager at Delabie UK, looks at how healthcare estate teams can deliver efficient water management within healthcare facilities and maintain system hygiene.
In its pledge to become more water- efficient, NHS Property Services1
identified
that the average person in England uses 140 litres per day, while a French study by the Centre for Information about Water2 estimates the average consumption per bed per day in hospitals and residential care for the elderly at 300 and 310 litres respectively. Evidently, healthcare facilities’ needs are very different from the average household, but good practice and efficient water usage will contribute to sustainable water management. To paraphrase the Building Regulations Part G2: ‘…installations must make reasonable provision by the installation of fittings and fixed appliances that use water efficiently to prevent undue water consumption.’3
Patient safety emphasis
In recent years, the Estates team’s focus has rightly been on managing a safe water system to minimise the risk of scalding while guaranteeing infection control. The priority has always been to keep hot water hot, cold water cold, and the water flowing. However, Estates teams can have a significant impact on sustainable water management by preventing waste, improving efficiency, and considering installing point-of-use technologies that can reduce water use.
In 2013 the Department of Health published Health Technical Memorandum 07-04 (HTM 07-04),4
its guidance on best
practice and advice for sustainable water management, and NHS Property Services was created to develop an action plan to improve water efficiency across its estates. This action plan is reinforced by a pledge which outlines six areas where water efficiency can be improved: consolidating suppliers; developing water intensity metrics; using metering; utilising water-efficient metering; reducing waste water, and investigating technologies to reduce use. Estates teams can and should engage with all these elements to deliver the action plan.
In 1999 the British government set a target of a 25% reduction in water use in its office and non-office estates by 2020. NHS estates are a significant consumer of potable water and, according to NHS Property Services, between 2010 and 2017 the health and care sector reduced water consumption by 21%. However, NHSPS acknowledges that: ‘there is still a long way to go in ensuring we operate water-efficient buildings for the NHS’.1
An electronic scrub trough. Preventing waste
The first step is understanding water usage patterns. Mapping the water distribution system is a prerequisite of HSG 274,5
Water Safety Plans, and risk
assessment for Legionella control. Having an accurate schematic of the system, and an appropriately-sized meter, allows water usage to be measured and monitored. Any areas of concern can be identified via sub-meters in specific areas of concern, such as clinical, public, and/or service areas. There are two areas of waste that can be easily addressed: leaks, and incorrect or inappropriate use of equipment. Timely maintenance and regular servicing prevent leaks which can become costly to repair, especially if there is ingress into walls and floors which causes structural damage. Ensuring appropriate water pressure in the system will also reduce leaks by preventing
excessive wear and tear within the network, and avoiding unnecessarily high flow rates through appliances. The installation of fittings that are designed for intensive use, and that are fit for purpose, will prevent the incorrect use of equipment, whether voluntary or involuntary.
Improving efficiency The key to improving efficiency is ensuring that the water controls are appropriate for the area of use. NHS Property Services identified domestic appliances (for the non-process use of water) as responsible for the highest levels of consumption, and the most cost-effective area for water efficiency in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. ‘Domestic’ appliances include WCs, urinals, taps, baths, and showers. The opportunity for Estates teams is to
October 2021 Health Estate Journal 47
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