Northern Health has been recognised for its water-saving initiatives.

The health service received the United Nations Association of Australia (Victorian Division) World Environment Day Excellence in Water Management award.

In 2004, Northern Health decided to review water consumption across its four campuses—the Northern Hospital at Epping, Broadmeadows Health Service, Bundoora Extended Care Centre and Panch Health Service at Preston.

Nearly 2,500 flow control valves were fitted to plumbing across the four campuses, saving 20,611 kilolitres of water per annum—the equivalent of one-and-a-half backyard swimming pools every day or a $44,500 saving in annual expenditure.

The savings paid for the implementation of the scheme in well under two years.

Northern Health's Chief Executive Officer Andrew Perrignon said the challenge was to reduce water consumption on a sustainable basis without affecting patient quality of care.

'That we were able to do this is a tribute to the way the plan was embraced throughout the organisation.'

Northern Health's winning water plan is being used as a template for other health organisations and has inspired the health service to become more environmentally-sustainable.

The Department of Human Services is promoting the water plan as a template for other health services.

All future Northern Health building projects—such as the Stage 2A redevelopment of the Northern Hospital and the construction of the new Craigieburn Health Service—will include similar water saving measures.