Oregon facilities team generates millions in water and electricity savings

Monday, December 22, 2025

December 2025

_{Above: Andrew Mason poses next to a motor control center. The small, red lights tell caregivers if the power in an area of the hospital is working.}

At Providence, caring for people means caring for the planet. Across Oregon, our facilities teams are taking bold steps to reduce water and energy use. Together, they're creating healthier environments for patients, caregivers, and communities.

Saving water, one sink at a time

Did you know that washing your hands for 20 seconds uses the equivalent of two plastic bottles of water?

_{Above: Cylix Shane accepts the Water Saver Solutions award for Providence Oregon.}

In 2023, Providence launched a systemwide project to cut water consumption across eight Oregon hospitals. Working with Water Saver Solutions Inc., our teams replaced high-usage waterfilters and fixtures.

Providence Seaside Hospital saw a 22% reduction in water use by the end of 2024.
At Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, hand-washing sinks now use one gallon per minute instead of two, saving thousands of gallons annually.

“These changes may seem small, but they add up,” says Cylix. “If we hadn’t done this work, we’d be using significantly more water.”

Lighting the way to energy savings

Water isn’t the only resource we’re conserving. Andrew Mason, director of facilities for four Oregon hospitals, is leading efforts to reduce electrical waste.

_{Above: Andrew poses next to a chiller duct, which helps regulate the temperature throughout the main building of the hospital.}

Before this project, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center was using many fixtures that were 50% higher wattage than what was needed.
In 2019, Andrew's team replaced 1,400 LEDs in the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center parking garage, saving $350,000 in energy costs.
This year, they installed 2,500 LED fixtures inside the hospital, part of a regionwide upgrade expected to save millions annually.

"We’ve significantly dimmed these bulbs. We expect some of the fixtures we are installing today to last 30 years," Andrew says.

Sustainability starts with you

For Garth Didlick, senior director of environmental care, conservation begins with awareness. Reducing our carbon footprint starts with simple steps. “Just like in your home, energy conservation begins with you,” he says.

In his own home, Garth reminds his kids to reduce water and save electricity. “I was the dad who said, ‘turn the lights off’ and ‘don’t leave the windows open when it’s cold’,” Garth says. “We can treat our facilities with the same respect.”