Water audit and benchmarking

Assess water use on a seasonal basis and draw up inventory of main water using equipment. Calculate water consumption per guest-night in different seasons. Identify priority measures to reduce water consumption. This should be done in all accommodations

Calculating water use per guest-night is simple task:

Managers in all types of accommodation may perform a basic audit of water using equipment to compare with water consumption data in order to draft a water balance. For the water inflow, annual water consumption can be taken from water bills (actual rather than estimated readings should be used). Flow rates from taps and showers can be easily measured according to the following procedure: (i) turn on the tap or shower to full flow; (ii) place a container of known volume (e.g. 5 litres) under the flow; (iii) time how many seconds it takes to fill the container to the indicated volume mark; (iv) calculate the flow rate using the following equation:

Environmental benefits

• Energy savings

For every m³ reduction in hot water consumption, approximately 52 kWh of energy is saved, assuming water is heated by 45 ºC.

• Water savings

Monitoring and reporting of water consumption is an integral component of water management plans with defined targets that can achieve substantial reductions in water consumption over time.

Reduced costs

At a water supply and disposal price of EUR 2.50 per m³, reducing consumption by 5 % in a typical 100 room hotel with an average consumption of 200 L per room per night could save EUR 913 per year.

Video

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