California Hospitals Look at Climate Change as Healthcare Issue

CA Hospitals Look at Climate Change as Healthcare Issue

133 billion gallons: that’s the amount of water used by large U.S. hospitals in 2007, the last year for which such a figure is available. That‘s about 145,000 gallons per bed, equal to the annual consumption of a four-person household. To underline the obvious, hospitals are a water-intensive business.

In drought-stricken California, hospitals are exempt from mandated water regulations. But that hasn’t stopped many from taking steps to conserve water, reports Modern Healthcare. Kaiser has spent $15 million dollars on water reduction projects, cutting its water use by 10 percent.  Sutter Health has consolidated the laundry services for its 25 hospitals into a single LEED-certified facility, saving 12 million gallons of water per year. It has also installed low-flow plumbing: shower heads, faucets, and toilets, reducing water consumption by double digits. Other California healthcare providers are reducing outside pressure washing and using drought-resistant greenery in their landscaping. Best of all, new healthcare buildings are being designed with conservation as a priority. That’s a good prescription for corporate responsibility.

I’m John Howell for 3BL Media.