Water consumption in public spaces is highly variable, and depends on the services offered and the number of visitors on any given day. Installation of efficient fittings, selected through 'green' procurement processes, reduces the overall amount of water used, and the treatment and disposal costs, as well as energy consumption when heated water is limited or regulated (showers and basin taps).

The following applications can be taken into account:

• Aerators and flow restrictors are inexpensive and suitable for retrofitting where water system pressure is at least one bar and low-flow fittings are not installed
• Low-flow showerheads can be fitted or retrofitted where water system pressure is at least one bar but should be tested on the premises before widespread installation (i.e. they are not suited to gravity-fed systems or some electric showers)
• Thermostatic mixers for showers can be fitted in place of basic mixer taps during construction or renovation
• Toilet retrofits, such as cistern displacement devices and dual-flush mechanisms, are universally applicable where existing flush volumes are greater than 6 litres
• Waterless urinals are universally applicable and can be realised through retrofitting existing urinal pods or troughs with modified traps or waste-pipe fans

In terms of total water savings, installing low-flow showers in all guest rooms can achieve the best results, reducing typical guest water consumption by almost 10 %. However, on a per fitting basis, the greatest savings are associated with the installation of waterless urinals (up to 150 m3 of water per unit per year) and low-flush (including dual-flush) public toilets (up to 55 m3 of water per toilet per year).