Water

UH Is Committed To Protecting Our Region’s Most Precious Resource

Water is one of our region’s most precious resources. Given that only 1 percent of the world’s water supply is freshwater, and 20 percent of the world’s freshwater is contained in the Great Lakes, using this limited natural resource efficiently and effectively is vital for the ongoing welfare of our communities. The US spends 8 percent of its energy utilization to heat, pump and treat water, so water efficiency also directly impacts our energy demand.

Water Use in Health Care Facilities

Health care facilities are very large consumers of water: a medium sized hospital goes through enough water per month to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools.

University Hospitals is working to manage our water needs responsibly by installing water-efficient products and focusing on improving our individual behaviors. By pursuing LEED Certification in our new construction projects and major renovations, we are recognizing the value of water conservation and wastewater diversion measures.

University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center water conservation features include:

• Water efficient plumbing fixtures, which reduce water consumption by 25 percent and save approximately 800,000 gallons of water per year
• Landscaping using native plants, which reduces the need for irrigation
• Bioswales in landscaped areas to reduce run-off waters and increase onsite filtration of oils and debris from parking surfaces, helping to decrease contamination of the local water supply