Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust
Why is the management of water important to your organisation?
Water management is crucial to hospitals for several reasons, primarily for patient care and infection prevention. NHS Hospitals use water for cleaning, wound care, theatre use, dialysis, sterilizing medical equipment and for kitchen use. Poor water quality results in diseases and infections to patients and staff. Water systems are regularly monitored and disinfected to nullify the risk of infection by preventing contamination by pathogens like legionella. To ensure staff and patient comfort, water pressure and temperature are maintained at the right standards for showers, sink and restrooms.
As we are high consumers of water it is very important not to waste any water. These are ensured by water monitoring through loggers and sub-meters. With these in place any leak in networks are spotted and fixed immediately. With the cost of water surging every year, it is necessary that water operation efficiency is maintained and the benchmark raised to get to the optimum efficiency levels.
Overall, proper water management can ensure patient care, comply standards and regulations, reduce risk in terms of resilience/breakdowns, and improve efficiency by minimizing cost and impact on environment.
What are you hoping to achieve from participating in the Market Improvement Fund Water Stewardship Initiative?
I would like to understand practices which enhance water management and run an efficient system. I would like to know more on monitoring and managing system (advanced AI powered ones comparing data from similar users), economically feasible low water usage technologies etc. I hope this initiative helps to foster collaboration among key stakeholders like wholesalers & retailers, regulators and end users. These would help me understand polices, regulations and strategies which could help address our challenges. Promoting staff/consumer awareness is very important for a hospital to address water efficiency. I expect to understand approaches and methodologies by which these can be dealt so that each person be a responsible user. Lastly, I’m keen to understand the carbon footprint of water systems and how these can be reduced to align with the global sustainability goals.
Why do you think it is important for businesses in the UK to adopt water stewardship practices?
Water is a scarce resource which is very much dependable on rainfall pattern and underground water tables and aquifers. It is very important to use water wisely so that the business in UK can maintain the production and meet their demands. Water operational efficiency has to be improved in all manufacturing and service business in the UK by adopting innovative clever technology to monitor, analyse and optimize consumption. The businesses who can adopt stewardship are better prepared to tackle any extreme climate related disruptions and will attain longer term success. Business face tight pollution regulations related to water quality& their treatment before discharge. The stewardship practices would give them an understanding on regulation compliances and sustainable usage. Businesses would have Net Zero targets and CSR initiatives, for which the practices would contribute in achieving their targets. Overall the stewardship will help the business have an increased and sustained productivity in the long run.
Stay informed about the latest developments by following our Water Stewardship UK LinkedIn page here.