DOMESTIC WATER REQUIREMENTS FOR OUTPATIENTS IN DAY HEALTH CENTERS AND CLINICS

[flexiblycool]

I am searching for design estimate of daily water consumption by outpatients in health care facilities. The only data I found was about Guidelines for minimum emergency water quantity for outpatients which is 5 liters/out-patient.
I would appreciate any data about regular daily water consumption by out-patients and not just the minimum emergency storage recommendation that I found on Sphere (2004)

 

[dbill74]

It would help to know what you need the information for.
A number of years ago I did a similar calculation for an office building and come up with 20 gallons (76 liters) per person per day. Which is a little more than this calculator gave me this morning.
I can't imagine out-patients using much more.

 

[flexiblycool]

Thanks dbill74
Unlike the office worker, the outpatient is likely in the clinic for as long it takes to see the doctor, so I wonder if the office figures should be used.
I am looking for any precise guideline developed for design of health centers and the water storage tank holding capacity. Suppose if 200 outpatients are expected to visit a clinic each day in an 8 hour shift, what should be the size of the water storage tank that has no municipal water supply. The water must be hauled by tankers to fill the storage tank. So the size/capacity of the storage tank must be estimated fairly accurately in order not to fall short and also not be over sized.

 

[dbill74]

I can't say that I'm aware of studies or of anyone else having done such calculations. Consider putting together a spreadsheet. Figure each doctor/nurse to be same as an office person. For each patient I'd probably do 1.5 trips to toilet, 1-2 minutes at lavatory, another gallon or two for drinking. If patients will have access to shower you can add that in. A typical doctor's office with exam rooms has a sink in each room, so add several minutes of use for those. Then add a safety factor and round up to nearest 5 gallon increment. Hopefully you know what kind of procedures they will be doing, if not discuss with your client. If a procedure will require more water then review with the client/owner.

Basic family doctor's office: 2.4 gallons for toilet, 1 gallon lavatory, 0.5 gallon exam room, 2 gallon scrub (doctor/nurse use between patients) = 5.9 gal, round up to 8 gallon per patient per day. Adjust as you see fit.
Not saying this is right, but hopefully gives you an idea.

Despite all the information on the internet these days, it does not have all the answers, sometimes we have to find our own solutions.

 

[urgross]

Will the project require fire sprinkler coverage?

 

[ZDR1985]

you can check "Plumbing Engineering Services Design Guide", daily water demand is there

 

[willard3]

This is not the apropriate place to ask this question. This is an HVAC forum as stated in the title.

 

[dynamo78]

@ willard, I used to design water heaters for college dormitories using the "Application" handbook from ASHRAE. yes I agree its should be in the plumbing section.just chiming in Bros!

 

[cry22]

may be eng-tips should get a plumbing section going

 

[dynamo78]

@ Cry22, You beat me to it.I totally agree.

 

[dbill74]

One already exists. Topics tend to be all over the place though, not just domestic water and D-W-V related.

http://www.eng-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=678

 

[317069]

This could be an HVAC question too, when we connect a hot water cylinder to the hydronic heating boiler loop and use the loop hot water to heat the domestic water, then the hot water load became a load on the heating system boiler, this approach is common in middle east small residential projects (they use hydronic for heating only), and they size the domestic hot water load based on L/day per person, but in commercial or public spaces they use L/day per fixture (not per person)