The 91探花Consolidated Laundry in Seattle鈥檚 Rainier Valley has installed a water recycling system that is expected to conserve approximately 18 million gallons a year.
The laundry serves 91探花Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, 91探花Medicine Neighborhood Clinics, the 91探花Health Sciences Center and VA hospitals in Seattle and American Lake. The 65,000 square foot laundry facility at 2901 27th Ave. S. processes 10 million pounds of linen per year. Prior to installation of the recycling system in January, the water used to wash this linen averaged 29 million gallons per year.
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and Puget Sound Energy partnered with the 91探花Consolidated Laundry to provide more than 60 percent of the funding for the water recycling system in the form of rebates. The 91探花laundry expects to save $227,000 annually in water and energy costs, enough to pay for the system within 14 months.
鈥淭his partnership benefits not only the 91探花Consolidated Laundry by reducing its operating costs, but the community as well by conserving our natural resources,鈥� said Kathleen Sellick, executive director of 91探花Medical Center.
鈥淪PU is pleased to partner with the 91探花Consolidated Laundry to install this innovative water recycling system,鈥� said Chuck Clarke, SPU director. 鈥淥ur commercial indoor water-saving programs offer substantial rebates to help businesses cut down on water use and reduce utility bills.鈥�
The system, created by AquaRecycle of Marietta, Ga., filters contaminants from the laundry wastewater鈥攊ncluding lint, chemicals, organics and oil and grease鈥攁nd is the first of its type to be used in Washington state. Disinfection of the recycled water is accomplished with a combination of ozone and ultraviolet light. The clean, disinfected water is returned to the washers for reuse in both hot and cold water supply. Currently the laundry is using more than 60 percent recycled water, and expects to increase to 75 percent over the next several months.