WATER WISE

Water and wastewater management are important aspects of hospitality that are part of their ecological strategy

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Hotels use a copious amount of water, and this is an area where any changes can mean significant cost savings. This is also an area where guests can do their bit by being conscientious.

WATER MANAGEMENT

Water is used in guest room shower fixtures, tap flow aerators, double-tank flush and faucets, water regulating valves, staff areas, and the kitchen. Managing water includes getting the proper quality of water for the desired purpose, finding ways to minimise its use, and recycling wastewater back for further use. The water and wastewater treatment systems (WTP's) are very important in

the hotel industry for cooking, cooling tower, boiler, and swimming pool operations. Mangesh Surve, Founder & Director, Envicare Technologies, says, "Approximately 60% of freshwater need can be taken care of by wastewater recycling. Laundry wastewater has a higher pH and contains soaps and detergents; this can be well treated in ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant) followed by UF (UItra Filtration). The kitchen wastewater has the presence of floating oil and grease that needs to be removed and can be further treated in a biological reactor with sewage."

THE RIGHT STEPS

Rajesh Radhakrishnan, General Manager, The Park Chennai, states, "The Park Hotels has been 'Sustainable by Design' since the early 2000s. Our bathrooms are designed to conserve water usage. Showerheads are optimally sized to minimise water usage. The flush systems in most units are discharged based on user requirements and not the standard 3-6 litres of water discharge by default. Some of the units also have a water-saving dual flush cistern.