By: Darrel Hicks
America’s water supply is expected to decrease despite many water districts enacting conservation measures.
Lake Mead, formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, is the largest reservoir in the U.S. and supplies drinking water to millions of people in California, Arizona, Nevada, and part of Mexico. Water levels have continued to hit all-time lows since last year and are now getting dangerously close to becoming a “dead pool” — when water won’t flow to a dam and is too low to flow downstream.
The first-ever water shortage was declared for Lake Mead last August, prompting a reduction in water releases to Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico to keep generating power and providing water for essential uses. Levels at Lake Mead are projected to hit a level that could require additional cuts in July 2023, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.
Projected climate change affects both rain patterns and temperatures. While rainfall is expected to increase in some parts of the US, the southern Great Plains and parts of the South won’t be so lucky. The water basins rely on rainfall to feed the rivers and tributaries that flow into them. Separately, more water will evaporate from reservoirs and streams as the climate gets warmer, further chipping away at the water supply. Around 50 years from now, many U.S. regions may see water supplies reduced by a third of their current size, while demand continues to increase.
How much water does on-site laundering of privacy curtains consume?
Hypothetically, a 350-bed hospital with privacy curtains in patient rooms, the Emergency Department, OR Holding, OR Recovery, the GI Lab, etc. would have to process six (6) loads of curtains daily to keep up with necessary curtain exchanges.
Here’s what you need to know: a 60# commercial washer consumes 150 gallons of water per load of curtains X 6 loads = 900 gallons p/day X 365 days p/year = 328,500 gallons of water per year. A swimming pool with 328,500 gallons of water would be 5’ deep, 100’ wide and 72’ long. That’s a lot of water to wash curtains.
But wait, there’s more…
To manage exchanging that many curtains annually (take down soiled, install clean, transport soiled, wash, dry, fold clean, transport to clean curtain storage):
- Would require five (5.0) FTEs full-time equivalent staff. If the average wage of those FTEs is $22 p/hr (including benefits) = $228,800
- Add the cost of purchasing 328,500 gallons of water $$$$
- Add the cost of laundry chemicals (detergent, sour, fabric softener) for 2,190 loads annually. $15,330 approximately
- Add the cost of electricity to operate 60# commercial washer and 100# dryer for 2,190 loads annually. $$$$
- Add the cost of natural gas for 100# dryer for 2,190 loads annually. $$$
- Add cost of municipal sewer discharge of 328,500 gallons annually. $$$
- Add cost of replacing curtains that are worn out by >30 launderings, mesh is torn, stained beyond salvaging, etc. (minimum of 20% of total inventory annually). $18,500 approximately
Water conservation is the practice of an efficient usage of water by reducing unnecessary wastage of the same. The importance of water conservation becomes even more necessary as there is a limited source of freshwater that is beneficial for all human beings for a Healthy lifestyle. The freshwater available for use is unevenly distributed. Human activities are polluting the water sources threatening the survival of living beings. So, water conservation focuses on the concept of “save water and save a life.”
- Ascertain the “spend” to own and launder privacy curtains. Besides the financial cost, look at your practices of using and wasting water. Don’t dodge the issue of using and wasting water by stating, “We don’t launder curtains onsite; we pay someone else to do that.”
- Involve the Facilities Director to arrive at the actual cost of utilities for laundering onsite.
- If you operate in a region of the U.S. that is mandating water conservation, add representatives from the Water District to your discovery process.
- Do what’s right… Save water and save a life!
- Replace fabric curtains that require laundering with recyclable single-use curtains from KleenEdge. With the switch to KleenEdge you will have the ability to use proprietary software with NFC technology to track curtain exchanges and manage inventory.
