Oregon Clinic hits annual rainwater collection goal

Enlarge Image

Most Oregonians were grumbling about the abundance of late-spring/early-summer rain, but at the Oregon Clinic's Gateway Medical Office Building, the second-wettest June on record helped push the company to its goal of collecting 300,000 gallons of rainwater in a single season (they started tracking in October).

The rainwater is used to flush the building's 45 low-flow toilets. Here's the math: 300,000 gallons = 200,000 flushes and a savings of close to $5,500.

The building, completed in 2006, is home to 50 doctors and 100,000 square-feet of LEED-Gold-certified space. Since opening its doors, the building has collected a total of 850,000 gallons of rainwater.

Rainwater from the roof is fed to an underground 20,000-gallon storage tank and then is pumped through a pair of filters into a 400-gallon indoor storage tank. The water is used for toilet flushing and watering indoor plants.

"Both employees and patients take pride in the fact that The Oregon Clinic puts rainwater to good use and is an energy-efficient building,” said Phil Armstrong, COO for The Oregon Clinic in a press release. “Our building reflects the belief that you can make smart use of water and energy while also providing a safe, enjoyable space. The money we save enables us to purchase equipment and make other improvements important to patient care.”