As Americans, we often take certain things for granted. Although gasoline and energy costs appear to be fluctuating upward—and will likely increase in future years—water, in comparison, is nothing less than cheap. In fact, according to a recent Water Performance white paper based on studies conducted by a variety of respected private and public organizations, including the General Accounting Office, some water users pay as little as one-sixth of water’s true value.
However, water experts question whether we are really “lucky” when it comes to the low cost of water. These experts feel that future substantial costs could be coming and disruptive issues, due to infrastructure problems, could surface. It appears what is occurring today in the United States is the following:
• While the cost of water remains inexpensive, the infrastructure to deliver it is decaying in many parts of the country and not being updated or replaced;
• The true cost of actually delivering potable (clean and usable) water to consumers is escalating;
• The average price paid by local communities for water is increasing; and
• Water charges, both residential and commercial, are increasing, but not enough to meet current expenses and build infrastructure necessary to meet future water needs.
What does this all mean? The following analogy might help. In January 2008, a business colleague of mine started noticing early warning signs of a very sluggish economy ahead for business. He said he believed, “Wall Street was headed for a major ‘train wreck.’” As we know now, his assumption was correct. Similarly, if U.S. water departments, hotels, consumers, businesses, etc., don’t start taking action today, a similar outcome involving water could be awaiting.
Where Things Stand Now
According to Water Performance’s white paper, the availability of water is becoming a very serious public issue and many communities that are currently “water rich” may actually be in for a very big surprise. This realization already occurred when, in 2003, Georgia officials believed the Atlanta area and other parts of the state would only experience “localized” water shortages for relatively brief periods of time during that decade. However, in 2007, the state experienced a crippling water shortage, far worse than ever expected. In fact, Atlanta was within days of running out of water entirely.
Water officials are now becoming much more pragmatic about current and future water supplies. Colorado and South Carolina water experts believe their states will experience severe droughts in coming years. Sixteen states are expected to experience severe, localized droughts and another 18 states expect moderate, localized shortages over the next 10 years.
In addition, the white paper reported the following:
• Most states in the United States will experience moderate to extreme water shortages in the next 10 years;
• The demand for water for outdoor use, landscaping, agriculture, and HVAC systems will continue to grow, while water consumed inside for toilets, urinals, showers, etc. will decline;
• Currently, as much as 20 percent of the nation’s water will never make it to consumers because of decaying water infrastructure and this will likely occur in the future as well;
• Improvements in water efficiency, such as new plumbing technologies, and water conservation (actual reduction in water use) will help reduce energy use in the United States as well as greenhouse emissions; and
• Technologies that find ways to reuse water may be the next “big thing” in water conservation and efficiency.
What Can Hotel Properties Do
It is estimated that only about 15 percent of all the water used in the United States is for buildings. The bulk of the water used is for irrigation for landscaping, ranches, farming, etc. This means that as many water conserving steps hotels take—many of which have done an excellent job at conserving water—this channel cannot solve the water shortage problem alone. However, this does not mean that we should cease our efforts, especially since conserving water helps hotel properties become greener and more sustainable. Further, since the cost of water is expected to escalate—possibly dramatically in the next 10 years—water conservation will be a substantial cost savings as well.
So where can we start? For hotel properties, the first and most effective step to take is reducing the amount of water used for landscaping. The use of collected rain water and “gray water” (waste water from dishwashing, laundry, and bathing), which are safe to use for plant irrigation, should be increased. New technologies and systems are making it easier to tap, trap, and store this water.
Additionally, many areas of the country must switch from conventional landscaping to xeriscaping. Xeriscaping, first coined by the Denver, Colo., Water Department, is landscaping designed with water conservation as a major, if not overriding, objective. Conventional landscaping practices often feature water demanding trees and shrubs that are not native to the area. Xeriscaping uses native and less water demanding vegetation. Hotel properties that have made the switch have experienced water reductions of 30 percent to as much as 80 percent.
In addition, hotels can implement several strategies indoors to reduce their facility’s water usage. Although initially cautious, studies now report that consumers are very satisfied with reduced-flow bathroom/restroom fixtures and showerheads as well as no-flow fixtures, such as waterless urinals. While it is not practical to ask guests to take fewer and shorter showers, hotels can select water conserving technologies that function well, meet guest satisfaction, and reduce water use significantly. Fortunately, more and more of these water conserving technologies are now available.
A frequent speaker and author on water conservation issues, Klaus Reichardt is founder and managing partner of Waterless Co. LLC, Vista, Calif. Reichardt founded the company in 1991 with the goal to establish a new market segment in the plumbing fixture industry with water conservation in mind. The company’s key product, the Waterless No-Flush urinal, works completely without water.
