Why the need to conserve water?
Most water (97%) is in the oceans, which cover 71% of the Earth's surface. Three per cent is freshwater, two-thirds of which is tied up as ice in glaciers and at the poles. This leaves approximately 1% as freshwater in rivers, lakes, the atmosphere and in groundwater.
However, with demand rising rapidly due to a growing global population with expectations of higher living standards and resource-intensive farming, that 1% is under threat. Climate change is adding to the problem because our weather patterns have become less predictable and more pronounced. While a number of areas are experiencing periods of prolonged drought, the rain that falls in some other areas is heavier. This leads to flooding without sufficiently replenishing groundwater stocks.
Water is essential to the hotel and tourism industry — for food preparation, cleaning and hygiene, guest comfort an\d recreation. Hotels also depend upon their supply industries, such as agriculture and the food and drink industries, none of which would function without sufficient water.
Hotels have a duty not to use more water than is absolutely necessary. It makes commercial sense too, with water accounting for 10% of utility bills in many hotels. In fact, most hotels pay for the water they consume twice — for its initial purchase and then to dispose of it as wastewater. Depending on how water efficient they are in the first place, hotels can reduce the amount of water consumed per guest per night by up to 50% compared with establishments with poor performance in water consumption
Water constantly recirculates between the atmosphere and the Earth. Through the action of sun and wind, it evaporates from the surfaces of the oceans and continents. Condensation occurs as water vapour rises, forming clouds or fog, with the water returning to Earth as rain, snow or hail. Precipitation makes its way into rivers, lakes, the sea and on the ground, where it partially remains or continues its journey sub-surface into the groundwater. Groundwater may enter rivers or oceans, reappear as springs, be pumped, or stay in the ground for centurie
Setting a water conservation action plan
1. Carry out a water audit to show where the major water costs are and where savings can be made.
2. Compare total and departmental consumption figures with hotel industry benchmarks to determine the potential for savings.
3. Calculate water used per guest by dividing the total water consumed in guest rooms by the number of guests for that month.
4. Establish realistic goals for each department.
5. Communicate management's objectives and goals to employees.
6. Ensure participation from the entire workforce and invite staff to put forward their ideas.
7. Check regularly for leaks from cisterns, taps and pipes and make sure that plugs in basins fit properly.
8. Implement a programme that allows guests to opt not to have towels and linens changed every day.
9. Install sensors, low-flow and other water-saving fittings in kitchens, guest bathrooms and public washrooms. Take advantage of any financial incentives being offered by local/national governments to install water-efficient technologies.
10. Divert and capture rainwater (rainwater harvesting) for reuse in the hotel grounds.
11. Establish a monitoring and targeting system and constantly monitor results.
12. Train staff so they understand how to make prudent use of water and how to maintain equipment for optimum energy-efficiency.
13. Develop standard operating procedures and continue to stimulate motivation by giving feedback.
14. Join forces with other hotels and provide mentoring to help them reduce their water consumption.
Staff training
1. Ensure staff are trained to look for leaks, that they report them quickly and problems are responded to swiftly.
2. Use a plug and a bucket when cleaning baths and basins rather than letting the taps (faucets) run.
3. Clean the toilet after cleaning the bath and basin so that the water can be used for a final swill down.
4. Involve staff and ask them to suggest water conservation ideas.
Measurement
1. Install sub-meters to measure specific users of water, such as guest bathrooms.
2. Measure consumption on a monthly basis.
3. Set realistic targets.
Maintenance
1. Conduct regular inspections of taps, showers, toilet mechanisms, overflows from water storage and pipe joints for leaks. Check around the grouting on taps and shower fittings for signs of leaks.
2. Check for a leaking toilet. Add food colouring to the cistern to detect leaks (coloured water will appear in the bowl if the toilet is leaking).
3. Check that plugs are fitted to basins and that they produce an effective seal.
Guest education
1. Communicate to guests the importance of local freshwater resources and provide opportunities to allow guests to use water wisely.
2. Encourage guests to shower rather than bath.
3. Suggest guests do not leave the tap running when brushing their teeth and they half-fill the sink.
4. Invite them to reuse their towels and linens by opting not to have them changed every day.
Fittings
1. Install the latest, most water-efficient fittings.
2. Ensure machines are fully loaded before use.
3. Wash small quantities in a 5kg machine.
4. Ensure that all water inlet valves are closing properly.
5. Check for leaking dump valves.
6. Minimise the rinse without reducing quality.
7. Consider using "intermediate extraction" between rinse operations.
8. Consider the reuse of water from previous rinse cycles for the first wash of the next cycle by installing temporary holding tanks.
9. Check that level controls on water reuse tanks are working properly.
10. 500-room-plus hotels could consider installing a continuous batch washer (CBW), which uses all the rinse water for pre-washing and main suds operation.
11. Ensure that the water flow rates on tunnel washers and CBWs are adjusted to the manufacturer's recommended setting.
12. When buying washing machines, ensure it has a good water consumption rating.
13. Consider using ozone laundry systems. These inject ozone into the water, which works in conjunction with the laundry chemicals to provide a more efficient wash, reducing energy and water use through shorter cycles.
14. Monitor water use and establish benchmarks.
A towel and linen programme
A towel and linen programme can help you make significant water savings and reduce energy consumption, detergent and the need for waste water treatment.. It can also reduce your costs. As well as saving water, it means less wear on fabrics, prolonging their life, and saves housekeeping staff time.
1. Ensure there is a towel rail in the bathroom for guests to hang their towels for reuse.
2. Ensure all staff are aware of the programme and the reasons for it. If a card is included in the guest bathroom suggesting that the guest uses them again, housekeeping staff must follow the correct procedure.
3. The wording on the in-room card should include clear instructions and inspire guests to conserve resources rather than giving the impression the hotel is simply reducing costs. If you leave a questionnaire in the room, include a section on your towel and linen policy.
Swimming pools
1. Design the system so that you can capture and reuse backwash water to irrigate the grounds.
2. When cleaning the area around the pool, use a brush and pan to collect debris rather than hosing.
3. Cover the pool when not in use to avoid water evaporation.
4. Fit water-saving showerheads, dual flush or water-efficient toilet cisterns and push-button taps in all changing facilities.
5. Check the water meter last thing at night and first thing in the morning to detect leaks.
6. In coastal areas, a reverse osmosis (RO) plant is an option for converting seawater for use in pools.. Most good RO systems incorporate waste neutralisation, making the process simple and efficient.
Spas
1. To detect leaks, check the water meter last thing at night and first thing in the morning and carry out visual checks.
2. Fit water-saving showerheads, dual-flush toilet cisterns and push-button taps in all facilities.
3. Opportunities for capturing and rescuing spa pool water are limited due to the concentration of chlorine or bromine. Expert advice should be sought if you plan to redirect backwash water to irrigate the grounds or install a greywater recycling system for toilets.
4. It makes sense to use water resources sensibly in your grounds, even where water is plentiful.
Use rainwater harvesting techniques to divert rainwater from roofs and gutters into storage tanks.
1. If possible, use greywater from baths and sinks for irrigation. Consider installing a treatment system that will enable you to use treated black water from toilets in the gardens.
2. A well-designed and controlled irrigation system will deliver water when and where it is needed on a regular basis and will help plants to thrive.
3. Do not use hoses for watering plants and avoid sprinklers on lawns.
4. Avoid using high-pressure jets to clean paving.
5. Condition clay soils with powdered or liquid gypsum to improve water penetration.
6. Using your own organic compost will add nutrients and help retain moisture in the soil. You can also add polymers that help retain moisture.
7. Match the choice of plant material to the climate, avoid laying lawns where water is scarce and select the type of grass carefully.
8. Remove weeds regularly from garden beds as they compete with other plants.
9. If a water feature is essential, give thought to the size, design and how quickly the water will evaporate.
Toilets
1. Installing waterless urinals can save up to nearly 230,000 litres (60,000 US gallons) annually per urinal.
2. Other techniques include using include passive infra-red devices, which initiate a flush when they detect activity or flush at shorter intervals at busy times.
3. Timers that flush more frequently at peak times are another option, as is a sleeve-based urinal system, with a disposable sleeve to remove odours and flushes four to six times a day.
4. Switching to low-flow or low-flush toilets produces big water savings - newer designs typically consume around six litres (1.6 US gallons), compared to 26 litres (7 US gallons) per flush in older models.
5. Toilets with a dual-flush can save water by enabling guests to select a full or half-flush. Other water-saving toilet technologies include a cistern volume-adjusting device such as bricks, plastic containers, bags filled with water ("hippos") or pebbles in the cistern.
6. Finally, composting toilets, which do not require water, are suitable in remote areas and ecologically sensitive places where there is no/poor infrastructure.
Taps (Faucets)
1. Changing standard taps on sinks to automatic, restricted or aerated models will also make significant water savings.
2. Electronic controls can be retrofitted or installed and save up to 70% of water as well as proportional savings in heating, water treatment and sewage.
3. Manual valve taps can be upgraded with either flow restrictors or aerators.
4. Flow restrictors are washer-like discs that are installed in the tap head and reduce the flow of water by up to 9.5 litres (2.5 US gallons) per minute.
5. Aerators replace the tap head screen, lowering flow by adding air to the water stream and saving 12 litres (3.2 US gallons) per tap per day.
6. Self-closing percussion or push taps, which close automatically after up to 30 seconds are particularly suitable for cloakroom facilities in public areas. These can also be activated by passive infra-red sensors.
Showers and baths
1. Low-flow showerheads, such as those that combine air so the pressure feels strong, can result in a cut of 95 litres (25 US gallons) of water in a 10-minute shower.
2. In bathrooms, select the size of baths and basins carefully as it will have a dramatic effect on water consumption. Even using one litre less per bath per guest per year will yield huge savings. Also consider installing programmable controls to dictate the temperature and maximum fill level.
Hi-tech filtrations systems
These allow hotels to reuse virtually all of the water that is normally lost to the sewage system. Dutch Water Group, a company that specialises in water solutions for the hotel industry, has pioneered a chemicals-free bioreactor system that combines a biological process and membrane filtration. It allows hoteliers to reuse 99.9% of drainswater for irrigation, air-conditioning and laundry purposes. The filtration system does produce a “sludge” but this is compressed and only needs removing on average twice a year. reverse osmosis system works by pumping seawater under extremely high pressure through a very fine membrane to remove salt, bacteria, proteins and pathogens. It is then ready to drink safely.
Horizontal sprinklers
The latest models prevent water being wasted through evaporation, overspray and water run-off by watering turf on the surface in a bottom-up model rather than the typical sprinkler/top-down model. For example, the Jardinier Corporation’s Surface Flow system uses a series of pipettes snapped into a larger, horizontal pipe beneath the soil’s surface.
Pool drainage
Eliminate the need to drain a swimming pool and waste water with an Aquazerve unit that attaches to a pool pump to refresh the pool water every day, eradicating the need to drain the pool. See www.aquazerve.com
Recycled rain barrels
You can now buy water butts, such as those from Rainwater Solutions, made from 100% recycled materials with no pumps or mechanical devices and built-in overflow ports and screen traps to keep our mosquitoes.
Smart irrigation controllers
These automatically schedule watering based on landscape needs and local weather conditions. The Phoenician in Scottsdale, part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection, spends nearly $372,000 per year on irrigating its grounds. Now it has replaced its 21 irrigation controllers with HydroPoint Data Systems’ WeatherTRAK technology, which uses local weather data and site-specific details to eliminate overwatering. It expects water consumption to be dramatically cut by 30%, saving as much as $111,000 in the first year alone.
A study carried out by the UK's Environment Agency found that installing full water-saving equipment and employing water management practices could cut 50% off annual water bills. It found, for example, that one UK hotel saved more than £100 in water charges and about £100 in fuel charges per year by repairing a single dripping hot tap. In Japan, the Central Research Institute of Electric Power calculated that installing water-saving devices into large buildings would save 31% in bills, with a payback in just under two years.
Government grants to install new appliances aren't as generous as in other energy-saving sectors, due to lower installation costs. Financial help is often available through tax rebates. In the UK, tax credits are available in the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme and businesses are able to claim 100% first-year capital allowances of water-saving equipment. In the US, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power gives various fixed tax rebates on each water-saving item fitted in new buildings or as replacements. In Australia, grants of up to $10,000 are available from the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts to install water-saving and efficiency devices. Similar grants are available in other countries, especially in US.
Water and the stakeholder: Communicating and educating
Access to water is a human right and educating those around us about its fragility is therefore vital. Hotels have a responsibility in educating and communicating water issues to their stakeholders; employees, the local community and the customer.
As we can see from the above, a key component of a water management action plan is communication with and the education of staff. Implementing simple procedures and setting targets can play a huge role in effecting the mindset of employees when it comes to water consumption. Although this starts at the hotel, this shift in attitude is soon carried into home-life and in turn extends to others.
Where water is in short supply, being aware of competing demands for water and availability issues for a local community is vital. Hotels have to work with local communities when it comes to water use, rather than taking supplies from them.
1. Get informed about local water issues through talking to local authorities, community and business groups and your staff
2. Conduct a water use and risk assessment of your property (see tools below)
3. Be aware of and as a minimum, adhere to local regulations on water extraction and waste water disposal. Where standards are low or infrastructure poor, ensure yours are high and join with other businesses and community groups to lobby for better regulation and management
4. In areas where local people may have limited access to water, or where water quality is poor, consider supporting improvement schemes with local authorities and community groups or funding better access to water, such as water tanks or standpipes
Hotels can also play a role in educating customers about water issues, and to some extent encourage reflection on their own water use at home and when traveling. Most simply, this can be done by communicating what the hotel does to minimise water consumption and why it is committed to doing so. This can be done by:
1. Communicate to guests the importance of fresh water resources within the area and provide opportunities to allow guests to use water wisely
2. Encourage guests to shower instead of bath
3. Suggest they do not leave the tap running when brushing their teeth. It can save up to nine litres each time they do so!
4. Invite them to reuse their towels and linens by opting not to have them changed every day
5. Incentivise guests to change their behaviour through donations to charity or vouchers to spend at the hotel
6. Inform guests how the hotel reduces water consumption in other areas of the hotel
Bathrooms
1. Shower flow should be no more than 10 litres / min. This can be very simply measured with a bucket and stopwatch
2. Low flow toilets use an average of just six litres per flush, compared to older models that use roughly two to four times more than that. Additionally, you can install duel flush toilets so guests can opt for a shorter flush. If it is not feasible to change all toilets, you can reduce the water used in flushing by placing a brick or full water bottle in the cistern (effectively displacing some of the water)
3. Taps should have a maximum flow of six litres / min, or four in hand washing sinks in public bathrooms. Flow restrictors or better aerators can both help reduce tap flow
4. Maintenance is a key part of saving water consumption – a leaking toilet can lose 750 litres of water day
Laundry
1. Where outsourced, ask your supplier what procedures they have in place to reduce water and energy use
2. Wash small quantities in a 5kg machine and always ensure machines are fully loaded
3. Minimise the rinse cycle as much as possible without reducing quality
4. Consider using “intermediate extraction” between rinse operations
5. Consider the reuse of water from previous rinse cycles for the first wash of the next cycle by installing temporary holding tanks
6. Maintenance is also key: Check regularly for leaking dump valves, ensure that all water inlet valves are closing properly and check that level controls on water reuse tanks are working properly
7. 500-room-plus hotels could consider installing a continuous batch washer (CBW), which uses all the rinse water for pre-washing and main suds operation
8. Ensure that the water flow rates on tunnel washers and CBWs are adjusted to the manufacturer’s recommended setting
9. When buying washing machines, look out for a good water consumption rating
10. Consider using ozone laundry systems. These inject ozone into the water, which works in conjunction with the laundry chemicals to provide a more efficient wash
Swimming pools
Having a swimming pool can increase fresh water consumption in a large hotel by up to 10% so think hard about whether it is really necessary before installing one. These steps will help ensure no water is wasted.
1. Conduct regular maintenance to prevent leaks. Checking for leaks is best done by reading water meters last thing at night and first thing in the morning
2. Backwash the swimming pool every two to three days rather than daily. It is also best to opt for a backwash system where water can be recaptured and used for irrigation
3. Always cover swimming pools when not in use to prevent evaporation and reduce the need to empty and refill
i. Installing push-button showers by the pool will reduce water use
Grounds
1. Do not water grounds in the heat of the day. In hot climates, the best time to water is in the evening
2. It’s best to avoid using automated watering systems, however if they do have to be used water can be saved by fitting timers on sprinklers to control water use. Moisture sensors in gardens and grounds can also be used to avoid over-watering
3. Put a procedure in place for manual watering and train gardening staff to reduce water use where possible
4. Use rainwater harvesting techniques to divert and capture rainwater from roofs and gutters. Water can be diverted into underground storage tanks or into water butts. Plants actually prefer rainwater to treated water from a tap
5. If possible, use grey water from baths and sinks for irrigation. Consider installing a treatment system that will enable you to use treated black water from toilets in the gardens. The treatment plant needs to be carefully positioned in relation to prevailing winds and screened from view. Management of these systems must be well controlled
6. A well-designed and controlled irrigation system will deliver water when and where it is needed
7. Using your own organic compost will add nutrients and help retain moisture in the soil
8. Placing wood chips on top of soil helps to reduce evaporation
9. Native species of plant often need less water so design and landscape your grounds in keeping with the existing environment
Kitchens
1. Taps in kitchens should have a maximum flow of 10 litres per minute
2. Only use dishwashers on full load
3. Pre-soaking utensils and dishes saves using running water. Similarly, wash vegetables and fruits in a sink of water rather than a running water rinse
4. Avoid thawing food under running water and avoid using running water to melt ice in sink strainers
5. Minimize the use of ice machines and adjust settings to dispense less ice
Housekeeping
i. Put procedures in place and conduct training to inform housekeeping on how they can reduce water use. These procedures should include how many times to flush the toilet when cleaning, not to leave taps running or use excessive water, using a mop rather than hose when cleaning floors
ii. Implement a linen reuse programme. As well as saving water, these programmes mean less wear on fabrics, prolonging their life, and saves housekeeping staff time. Many hotels advertise a reuse programme but often do not adhere to them, leaving guests cynical, exasperated by the fact that guests often think this is just a cost saving exercise for the hotel. Rather than imposing a structured programme, the most successful policies are those that allow guests to opt out of having their linen changed on a daily basis
Water efficiency systems
i. Grey water systems enable up to 50 per cent of wastewater to be returned to the hotel after treatment for toilet flushing
b. Because of the separate pipe-work involved, grey water systems are expensive to install and chemical treatment of the recycled water is sometimes necessary for health and safety reasons (only in on-demand systems). They are therefore best designed into the building at the outset, although increasingly hotels are choosing to retrofit them because of the savings to be made. Payback time is difficult to calculate, as it will depend on the type of systems installed and the relative cost of the potable water to that of the reuse water. The payback can be anything from two to fifteen years depending on the cost of water at your location
i. Low-flow technology installation can save huge volumes of water across bathrooms and kitchens, with minimal effect on the customer experience
c. Adjustable flow restrictors on taps enable them to deliver a lower instantaneous flow rate than screw-operated taps and can reduce water use by over 50%. Similarly, low-flow shower heads cost very little and use around 9.45 litres a minute compared with conventional heads (which typically use nearly twice that). If properly designed they should feel as effective as higher water volume models.
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