Savings all round... water, money and environment

• Retrofitting for lower water use brings significant savings
• Good environmental, economic and social impacts
• Challenges how to incorporate new technologies into existing building systems and products

A medium-sized hotel in Sussex, England can serve as an example of a successful case of water efficiency retrofitting. The hotel consists of 28 guest rooms, a reception, bar and restaurant area, kitchen, guest and staff toilet facilities, laundry, and staff accommodation. Water saving across the complex is achieved through building design features, efficient plumbing fixtures/fittings, and smart water use policies and practices.

An audit found that water use in guest rooms, including housekeeping, accounted for over 80 % of the hotel's total water consumption. Analysis showed a 25 % potential saving if the hotel retrofitted shower heads and regulators, introduced dual-flush toilets, mixer regulators, water butts and hose triggers, as well as accompanying housekeeping practices. A further 10-15 % saving could be achieved if the WC cisterns and hot/cold basin taps were replaced.

Key results

Motivated by the need to save water and improve its sustainability credentials, the hotel decided to implement the recommended water system retrofitting programme, which delivered many desired outcomes including reduced operating costs linked to water use.

A post-billing analysis shows € 573 savings per quarter if compared directly with the previous year; achieving the forecast minimum of 20 % savings. The cost saving of 24 % was achieved compared to the same winter quarterly period in the previous year. Based on this improved performance, the payback for the retrofit programme was estimated at 1.25 years.