WATER CONSERVATION AT TUFTS NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL CENTER (NEMC)
Prior to this project, NEMC’s engineers were skeptical that an outside service provider would truly delivers what they promise, in an understandable and professional manner. Almost daily they were visited, solicited, and even “stalked” by “energy conservation specialists” who wanted to charge them for re-lamping with new efficient lighting / ballasts, installing variable frequency drives, and rebuilding steam traps that work. NEMC ignored these offers, since they already knew how to do these things and have in-house engineering staff to do it.
When NEMC was approached by H2O Applied Technologies (formerly H2O Matrix) selling water conservation, they were equally skeptical that this company had nothing new to offer, and besides, NEMC had already “done” water conservation. However, NEMC’s two mechanical engineers talked to H2O Applied Technologies, and became interested. Engineering staff were challenged by management to obtain details of hard processes and definitive calculations of results, with “NO BLACK BOXES”. If the engineers were convinced, and could convince management, then management promised to get the funding. Although the facility had already eliminated all water cooled devices and changed out all of their flushometers to 1.6s, they were surprised to see the calculations of specific remaining measures that could be achieved with sound technology.
Fortunately, at that time, the health system that NEMC was a part of (8 hospitals of varying sizes) was in the midst of efforts to focus joint activities and derive substantial operational savings. To this end, $2,000,000 was made available for the shortest return on investment among any of the partners that could prove an opportunity. NEMC organized a committee of in-house engineers and lead maintenance staff to “leave no stone unturned”. As a result, NEMC received between $300-4000 funding over a 2-year period, to go ahead with the H2O Applied Technologies program. The facility was very happy with project implementation and results. NEMC saves approximately $100K annually on their water bills, and encourages other healthcare facilities to consider implementing similar programs.
If your facility is interested in implementing a similar program, or identifying water conservation opportunities, contact Tom Muratore of H2O Applied Technologies at 617-574-1192.
The following areas and equipment were included in the NEMC water conservation program:
19 gravity steam sterilizers
2 vacuum sterilizers in the Central Processing Department
4 Radiology film processors
Radiation Therapy Linear Accelerators
Dialysis reverse osmosis unit reject water
450 flushometers throughout public spaces in the facility
30 automatic optimal flush units for high traffic areas
Steam Sterilizer Condensate Tempering Retrofits
A patented (but understandable) steam condensate tempering system (CTS) was installed on various vacuum and gravity sterilizers throughout the medical center. The essence of this system involves a temperature-sensing probe that determines the very minimum water injection required to discharge the highest allowed condensate temperature leaving the sterilizers. This measure reduced 85% of NEMC’s water use in sterilizers and will likely extend the life of the equipment.
Vacuum Sterilizer Retrofits
Rather than running 9 gallons per minute through a venturi to create vacuum, electric vacuum pumps (using minimal electricity) were installed on two vacuum sterilizers that develop between 27 and 28 inches of vacuum. Also CTS kits were installed.
Film Processor Retrofits
Processor flow control units were designed and installed on film processing machines located throughout four different departments within the facility, further optimizing water use.
Linear Accelerator Retrofits
Water was taken from the reject side of the linear accelerator heat exchangers and piped to the condensate receiver reclamation tank. It is then pumped to the facility’s cooling towers and used for evaporative cooling.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Reject Water Reclamation System
Reject water produced in the RO process is piped to a reclamation tank in the basement. It is then pumped to two different locations based on pressure. The first location is the building’s non-potable water supply. The second location is the condensate receiver reclamation tank, from which the water is then pumped to the cooling towers and used for evaporative cooling.
Flushometers:
The facility’s flushometers were a standard “off-the-shelf” supply house brand. H2O Applied Technologies performed bench testing and determined that tolerances were insufficient and actual readings varied up to 3 gallons per use. They provided their own “accurate” parts that consistently achieved the 1.6-gallon spec. In addition to saving water, NEMC did not experience any greater amount of maintenance from toilet clogs.
Summary:
The above measures have been in place for about four years and are all working properly.
The H2O Applied Technologies water conservation program reduced NEMC’s water bill by 24%, savings approximately 17 million gallons of water annually. Based on Boston’s water and sewer rates, that equates to a savings of between $100,000 to $150,000 each year.
While healthcare facilities obviously vary greatly (in size, extent of occupant use, and basic water and sewer rates) any facility that has a substantial water use is certainly a candidate for review. H2O Applied Technologies will conduct a free review of your facility and report “potential savings”. If you express interest, they will then expand their review to a detailed study resulting in very specific, tangible conservation projects like those demonstrated above. Furthermore, once installed, if the measures do not produce the savings at least as calculated, H2O Applied Technologies will pay you back. It’s pretty fool proof. They also have other ways of helping you to paying for their program if you don’t have the capital.
The following is a tabulation of NEMC’s twelve month comparison of actual meter readings from the period prior to implementation to the immediate twelve months after implementation.
PRE - / After / CalculatedH2O Applied Technologies / Implementation / Reduction
= 25.77%
1998 / 1998 / 1999 / 1999 / Actual
Month
/ Billing / (Gallons) / Billing / (Gallons) / %Days / Actual / Days / Actual / Reduction
October / 31 / 6,086,046 / 31 / 4,700,693 / -22.76%
November / 30 / 5,090,547 / 30 / 3,742,189 / -26.49%
December / 31 / 5,064,489 / 31 / 3,699,209 / -26.96%
January / 31 / 4,845,919 / 31 / 3,757,589 / -22.46%
February / 28 / 5,087,444 / 28 / 3,661,212 / -28.03%
March / 31 / 5,471,866 / 31 / 4,157,824 / -24.01%
April / 30 / 5,409,850 / 30 / 3,989,029 / -26.26%
May / 31 / 5,867,153 / 31 / 3,997,633 / -31.86%
June / 30 / 6,180,452 / 30 / 5,749,655 / -6.97%
July / 31 / 7,569,783 / 31 / 5,974,853 / -21.07%
August / 31 / 7,640,427 / 31 / 4,348,364 / -43.09%
September / 30 / 5,353,791 / 30 / 5,220,578 / -2.49%
ANNUAL TOTAL: / 69,667,767 / 52,998,828 / -23.93%