Hotel Manager's Guide to Water Efficiency

Hotel Manager’s Guide

to Water Efﬁciency

Hotels account for approximately 12 million gallons of New York City’s total

water use each day. You can help reduce this amount and save money by

lowering your property’s water consumption. First, this guide outlines steps

to get you started. Second, it highlights common hotel water uses that can

often be turned into water savings opportunities, such as housekeeping,

laundry, food service, grounds maintenance, or landscape. Finally, it includes

a list of tips for hotel staff on the last page.

Hotel Manager’s Guide to Water Efﬁciency

Overview and Getting Started

Measure Your Water Use

The old saying, “you can’t manage what

you can’t measure” holds true with water

use in hotels. It is important to understand

how much water your hotel is consuming

and how it is divided among the various

uses such as in the guest rooms and

common areas. A great place to start is

with a thorough evaluation of water use in the property, also called an audit or site

survey. This can be done in-house or contracted out to a third party specialist. An

audit includes collecting historic water bills and counting all the water using ﬁxtures

and appliances inside and outside of the building. Observing how water is used in

various operations such as cleaning guest rooms, laundry, and food service is also very

useful. The evaluation should identify the associated water ﬂows and estimated energy

consumption related to hot water use. Additional data such as occupancy rates are

useful during this assessment. A detailed water use proﬁle will enable precise planning

and implementation of improvements.

Getting Started

It may also prove valuable to benchmark

water use against similar hotel operations.

A helpful resource for this is the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager

DataTrends series. In fact, NYC Local Law

84 requires buildings 50,000 square feet

or more to benchmark annual water and

energy consumption using the ENERGY STAR

Portfolio Manager.

Identify, Evaluate, and Select Efﬁciency Measures

An audit of your property will reveal opportunities for reducing water use and provide

the foundation for developing a strategy. It is important to evaluate and rank the various

options in terms of cost-effectiveness and qualitative factors such as the impact on the

guest experience. Ideally, the selected measures will have a good return on investment

and have a neutral or positive impact on the guest experience.

Plan, Implement, and Monitor

Creating a plan that details the hotel water use proﬁle and identiﬁes the targeted areas

for efﬁciency improvements in those uses along with expected costs and beneﬁts will

help guide implementation. After the selected efﬁciency measures are put into action, it

is important to monitor changes in water use. All hotels in NYC are equipped with water

meters and Automated Meter Reading (AMR) devices that track usage daily and in some

cases hourly. Tracking water use data generated by your AMR device is as easy as setting

up and logging into My DEP Account at nyc.gov/dep. Frequent monitoring can be done in

a matter of minutes and will help identify leaks and other abnormal spikes in water use.

» Determine your total usage in My DEP Account and create a baseline

» Conduct an audit of your property to measure water consumption and generate a

water use proﬁle

» Identify, evaluate, and select efﬁciency measures

» Plan and implement efﬁciency measures

» Track implementation progress and changes in water consumption

» Monitor water use frequently via MY DEP Account

Total water consumption varies from hotel to hotel, but guest rooms often represent

the highest water use. This is typically associated with toilets, showers, bathtubs,

and lavatory faucets. Some hotels may include a kitchen in the room which will have

additional water use. If the ﬁxtures in the guest rooms are old and inefﬁcient, they

should be replaced with EPA WaterSense

labeled products. This will ensure water

savings and satisfactory performance.

Some hotels may use ﬂushometer valve toilets in guest rooms. If so, 1.28 gallon per

ﬂush models are available and recommended. EPA WaterSense

currently only labels

tank-type toilets, but is pursuing a labeling program for ﬂushometer toilets.

Offering linen and towel reuse options to hotel guests will help lower water

consumption at a very low cost and may appeal to environmentally conscious

guests. It is important to provide adequate space for guests to hang towels so they

can completely dry between uses.

The process employees use to clean guest rooms also has a large impact on water

consumption. Linen and towel reuse programs are only effective if housekeeping staff

adhere to the guest requests. Water waste may occur if staff ﬂush toilets repeatedly

Guest Rooms

and leave showers and faucets running longer

than necessary during cleaning. Standardizing

a housekeeping cleaning process and educating

staff in practices that promote wise water use

will encourage day to day water efﬁciency.

Beyond reducing the number of toilet ﬂushes and

excessive faucet use this may include changing

carpet cleaning methods from a steam or other

wet method to a dry powder method, changing

the window cleaning schedule from periodic to an

on-call/as required basis, and using sustainably-

produced or green cleaning products. Additional

housekeeping and cleaning tips for hotel staff can

be found at the end of this guide.

TIP: EPA WaterSense

labeled tank toilets have a ﬂush

volume of 1.28 gallons or less, EPA WaterSense

labeled

showerheads have a ﬂow rate of 2.0 gallons per minute or

less, and EPA WaterSense

labeled faucets and aerators

have a ﬂow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute or less.

Water efﬁciency efforts should not stop at the guestroom. There are many other water

uses throughout the hotel that can be measured, managed, and reduced. There may also

be opportunities to reuse water and capture rainwater for purposes such as irrigation.

» Evaluate guest rooms in audit of your property

» Replace inefﬁcient toilets, showerheads, faucets, and faucet aerators with EPA

WaterSense

labeled products

» Offer guests the option to reuse linens and towels and make signs visible and

easy to understand

» Check for and ﬁx any leaks and malfunctioning ﬁxtures

» Develop a standardized housekeeping process to promote efﬁciency when

cleaning guest rooms

» Change window cleaning schedule from periodic to an on-call/as required basis

» Switch from wet or steam carpet cleaning methods to dry powder methods

» Purchase sustainably-produced or green cleaning products for use within the hotel

Overall Building and Common Areas

Ice Machines

Ice machines are commonplace in the hospitality industry. In fact, hotels account for

over 20 percent of all commercial ice machine purchases in the United States. While

the end product of an ice machine is frozen, a large amount of heat is generated in

the ice making process. This heat is cooled

via a water or air chilling system. Water

cooled units may consume substantially

more water than is needed to make the

ice. The biggest offender in terms of water

inefﬁciency is a water cooled ice machine

with a once through cooling system. Air

cooled units are typically more water

efﬁcient than water cooled machines.

However, not all air cooled units are energy

efﬁcient. ENERGY STAR

has labeled air

cooled ice makers that save water and energy compared to conventional models. The

Consortium for Energy Efﬁciency also maintains a list of water and energy efﬁcient

ice makers. These references can be very useful in selecting an efﬁcient machine to

replace inefﬁcient units.

In addition to replacing inefﬁcient ice makers, it may also be possible to reduce the

number of machines in the building. And don’t forget to check ice machines for leaks.

Laundry

Although many New York City hotels contract their laundry out, there are some large

hotels that have laundry facilities in-house. Whether laundry is done in-house or

contracted out to a third

party, there is opportunity to

reduce the associated water

consumption. Offering towel

and linen reuse programs to

hotel guests as described in

the Guest Room section, is

a great place to start.

When guests participate

in a towel and linen reuse

program, water is saved

with very little cost or effort

on the part of the hotel. It is important to make signs communicating the program easy

to ﬁnd and easy to understand. In addition to clear instructions on how to participate,

a message about the value of water and the need to conserve will help stimulate

participation.

In-house laundry equipment can be evaluated to ensure it is mechanically efﬁcient and

being operated in a way that prevents excessive water use. Making sure the machines

run with full loads and at proper water levels is fundamental. Commercial laundering

equipment varies based on the facility’s requirements and should be a focal point of

your property audit. There may be opportunities for water reuse in the system as well

as the installation of an ozone system. Sub-metering water consumption in laundry

» Evaluate the water and energy consumption of ice machines installed during the

water audit of your property

» Replace inefﬁcient ice machines with water and energy efﬁcient units

» Consider reducing the number of ice machines in the building if feasible

» Check ice makers for leaks and make any necessary repairs

facilities will also help monitor for high levels of use. As of January 1, 2011 the New York

City Plumbing Code requires water distribution pipe lines serving a commercial laundry

facility to be equipped with a sub-meter.

If laundry is outsourced, management can contract with a service provider that

uses efﬁcient practices, or speak to their current provider about making efﬁciency

improvements.

TIP: Each set of towels and bed sheets take approximately 6 to 8 gallons of

water to launder.

Pool and Spa

Pools and hot tubs require

large amounts of water for

operation and may be a source

of great water savings. Proper

maintenance can reduce water

lost to evaporation and leaks,

and reduce the frequency the

water has to be replaced. Leaks

are often found in the various

plumbing connections, at separations along the pool top, and in the liner, sidewalls, and

ﬂoor of the pool itself.

» Offer guests the option to reuse linens and towels using eye catching signage

with easy to follow instructions

» Evaluate in-house laundry equipment for possible replacement or retroﬁt as part

of your property audit

» Ensure laundry equipment is being operated efﬁciently

» Run the washing machine only with a full load

• Minimize rinse cycles as much as possible without reducing quality

• Use the correct amount of soap to load size so extra rinsing is not required

» Install a sub-meter to monitor water use in the laundry facility if one is not

installed already

» Seek laundry service providers that use efﬁcient practices, if outsourced

Manually washing ﬁlters instead of backwashing can save water and result in a more

thorough cleaning. Using pool covers and controlling the water temperature can help

reduce water lost to evaporation. Because there is a possibility for large amounts of

water to be lost to leaks and evaporation, it may be worth the investment to install a

sub-meter to the pool makeup line. This will allow the operator to monitor water use

and identify leaks. As of January 1, 2011 the New York City Plumbing Code requires

newly installed swimming pools to be equipped with a makeup line sub-meter.

TIP: A small leak the size of a pinhole can lose 30,000 gallons of water

in one month.

Common Area

Restrooms

Like the bathroom found in guest

rooms, common area restrooms

can be updated to promote water

efﬁciency. While the prescription is

generally the same, men’s common

area restrooms also contain urinals.

These ﬁxtures often have potential

for efﬁciency improvements and

EPA WaterSense

has labeled urinals that are water efﬁcient (0.5 gallons per ﬂush) and

perform well.

The toilets found in common area bathrooms may use ﬂushometer valves. EPA

WaterSense

currently only labels tank-type toilets, but is pursuing a labeling program

for ﬂushometer toilets.

» Inspect pool and spa for leaks on a routine basis and make needed repairs

» Clean ﬁlters manually instead of backwashing if feasible

» Maintain a proper chemical balance to avoid the need to drain the pool

» Maintain a lower pool temperature to reduce evaporation, particularly when not

in use

» Use a pool cover to prevent evaporation if practical

» Plug the overﬂow line when the pool is in use

» Install a sub-meter on the pool makeup line if one is not installed already

Staff can develop a process for sanitizing and cleaning common area restrooms that

avoids wasting water such as leaving faucets running and excessive toilet ﬂushing.

Food Service

Water use associated with

a hotel restaurant, bar,

banquet service, and room

service can often be reduced

through the replacement

of inefﬁcient ﬁxtures and

appliances and by changes

in behavior or operations.

The audit of your property

will identify speciﬁc targets

unique to each operation, but there are some common features.

Food cooking is often done with food steamers that use a central boiler. These steamers

often consume large amounts of water and it may be cost-effective to replace them with

a more efﬁcient connectionless steamer or combination oven.

Dish cleaning offers opportunities for saving

water as well. Before plates and dishes

are loaded into the dishwasher they are

often cleaned with a pre-rinse spray valve.

Replacing an old pre-rinse spray valve,

(which may use 2 to 5 gallons per minute)

with an EPA WaterSense

labeled model

using 1.28 gallons of water per minute will

yield signiﬁcant savings at a low cost.

» Evaluate common area restrooms in the water audit of your property

» Replace inefﬁcient toilets, urinals, showerheads, faucets, and faucet aerators

with EPA WaterSense

labeled products

» Check for leaks and malfunctioning ﬁxtures on a regular basis and make needed

repairs

» Develop a cleaning and sanitation process that avoids excessive water use

Dishwashers are often one of the

largest water and energy consumers

in a commercial kitchen. There are

many types and sizes of commercial

dishwashers and the audit will help

determine if an upgrade is necessary

and cost-effective. Dishwashers

have a life expectancy of 20 to 25

years, indicating there are likely

many inefﬁcient units installed that

can be replaced with newer and more efﬁcient technology.

Improving the efﬁciency of pre-rinse spray valves and dishwashers will save hot water,

which in turn will lower the facility’s energy use.

In addition to being found in hotel common areas, ice machines are present in areas

where food and drinks are being prepared and served. These should be evaluated and

upgraded if feasible.

Kitchen operations can also be examined to identify any possible water waste that can be

mitigated. For example, faucets are sometimes left running continuously. Modifying any

water wasting behavior will provide a beneﬁt at a very low or even zero cost. Sub-metering

water consumption in food service facilities will also help monitor for high levels of use. As

of January 1, 2011 the New York City Plumbing Code requires water distribution pipe lines

serving a commercial kitchen facility to be equipped with a sub-meter.

» Evaluate kitchen equipment, as part of the property audit, for potential

replacement

• Food steamers

• Dishwashers

• Pre-rinse spray valves

• Ice machines

» Check for leaks and malfunctioning equipment on a regular basis and

make needed repairs

• Modify any water wasting behavior such as letting faucets run continuously

• Install a sub-meter to monitor water use in the food service facility if one is

not installed already

Floor Cleaning

Hotel operations require cleaning of hard surfaces such as sidewalks, patios, pool

decks, walkways, and kitchen ﬂoors. The cleaning process often includes the use of a

hose. It is important to use water as efﬁciently as possible when cleaning hardscapes.

This can be done by using dry cleaning practices when possible and equipping hoses

with self-closing nozzles.

TIP: Waterbrooms provide an alternative that allows a wet cleaning method

at a lower ﬂow rate (1 gallon per minute) compared to standard hose and

nozzle which typically ﬂow at 5 gallons per minute.

Leaks

Improvements in water efﬁciency often

focus on water ﬁxture and appliance

upgrades and changes in water using

behavior. A fundamental part of reducing

water consumption is eliminating leaks

in plumbing systems, in the various

water using ﬁxtures and appliances, and

in pools and spas. A water audit of your

property will identify leaks that can be

repaired, however, it is important to stay vigilant to identify and repair new leaks as they

occur. Even leaks the size of a pinhole can waste thousands of gallons per month. Leaks

can be hard to ﬁnd, so take advantage of your Automated Meter Reading device and

DEP’s free Leak Notiﬁcation Program by setting up a MY DEP account online. It is easy

and can help save a lot of water and money.

» Fix leaks identiﬁed during the property audit

» Continue to regularly check for and ﬁx leaks

» Set up a Leak Notiﬁcation alert at My DEP account

» Use dry cleaning methods when possible

» Use a self-closing nozzle if a hose is needed for ﬂoor cleaning

» Consider the use of an efﬁcient waterbroom if wet cleaning is required

Irrigation

Some hotels have outdoor space requiring irrigation. If this is the case, incorporating

efﬁcient irrigation practices can yield large water savings. Simple operational

modiﬁcations, such as not

watering plants during

the heat of the day, can

help reduce the amount

of water used to irrigate.

Planting a water-smart

landscape with native

plants that require little

irrigation and using

soils that hold moisture

are other strategies

to improve water use

efﬁciency. If there is an automatic irrigation system in place it should be equipped with

water savings devices and of course checked for leaks. Rain sensors, soil moisture

sensors, and weather based irrigation controllers utilizing evapotranspiration information

can be installed to prevent the irrigation system from operating when it is not needed.

There may also be opportunities for rainwater capture and other types of on-site water

reuse that can be used for irrigation.

» Avoid watering plants and turf during the heat of the day

» Select native plants that require little or no watering

» Select soil that retains moisture and reduces watering requirements

» Equip irrigation systems with controllers that prevent watering when it is

not needed

» Irrigate with harvested rainwater and other water captured on-site

Cooling Towers

Cooling towers are often used in hotels to cool the building via the HVAC system and can

be a leading source of water use. Proper maintenance and retroﬁts such as conductivity

controllers and pH controllers can greatly reduce the water use of a cooling tower. Any

cooling towers should be closely inspected during an audit. It may be cost-effective to

meter cooling towers in buildings with large cooling requirements; cooling towers may

represent a large portion of your property’s water consumption. As of January 1, 2011

the New York City Plumbing Code requires newly installed cooling towers to be equipped

with a makeup line sub-meter. Properties must have a dedicated meter for cooling

tower make-up lines in order to qualify for a wastewater allowance through NYC DEP. A

wastewater allowance prevents a property from being charged for water that does not

get discharged into the sewer.

TIP: As of January 1, 2011 the NYC Plumbing Code requires cooling tower

and swimming pool makeup lines to be equipped with a sub-meter.

The Plumbing Code also requires sub-meters for commercial cooking

facilities, commercial laundry facilities, and commercial gyms or spas.

» Maintain and retroﬁt cooling towers to promote efﬁciency

» Install a sub-meter to monitor cooling tower water use if one is not installed

already

Rainwater Harvesting and Water Reuse

Each property is unique, but some hotels will have

large roofs that can be used to collect rainwater,

and additional impervious surfaces such as parking

lots that can be used to gather stormwater. There

may be other opportunities to capture water on-

site from things like air-conditioner condensate,

steam condensate, cooling tower blow down,

swimming-pool backwash, and reverse osmosis

reject water. Graywater and blackwater systems

may also be viable options for on-site water reuse.

Harvested rainwater and other water captured on-

site can be used to irrigate turf and other plants,

supply cooling towers with water, and ﬂush toilets

and urinals. Con Edison steam customers can also use condensate to preheat domestic

hot water through a heat exchanger. This reduces water consumption in two ways: (1) it

offsets total steam consumption, and (2) reduces the amount of water used to cool the

condensate before it is released into the sewer.

These potential options can be evaluated during the water audit of your property. It is

important to know what is allowed by the NYC Plumbing Code and treat water to meet

the quality standards of its intended use. Agencies that may have jurisdiction include,

but are not limited to, the New York City Department of Buildings, the New York City

Department of Health, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and

the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

» Evaluate the property for the potential to harvest rainwater and stormwater

» Inspect equipment such as air-conditioners, steam systems, cooling towers,

pools, and reverse osmosis systems for possible capture of water that can be

reused

» Evaluate the potential for graywater and blackwater systems

» Identify possible uses for recycled water and water captured on-site such as

irrigation, cooling tower make-up, and toilet and urinal ﬂushing

» Treat recycled and captured water to meet the quality standards of its

intended use

» Preheat domestic hot water with steam condensate if feasible

Strategies to improve water savings will require staff participation to be successful.

For example, if staff does not adhere to the hotel linen reuse program, no water will

be saved. The same would be true if a housekeeping protocol were developed to use

less water for guest room cleaning. Keeping staff informed of water savings efforts,

asking them to share ideas and take leadership, and ensuring staff feel invested in and

responsible for reaching efﬁciency goals will help maximize the impact of efforts.

Guest Awareness

Increasing guest awareness of water efﬁciency efforts and

the importance of using water wisely will help increase

participation in hotel linen reuse programs and prevent

wasteful practices like taking long showers and letting the

faucet run when it is not in direct use. Simple steps such

as making linen reuse placards and signs easy to ﬁnd

with clear instructions can have a large impact.

Educate and Engage Staff

Tips for Water-Efﬁcient Housekeeping

GUEST ROOM

» Adhere to hotel reuse linen/towel program to reduce laundry.

» Make sure linen/towel changing cards and other water conservation cards are in

place for guests to ﬁnd and easily read.

» Minimize water use during the room cleaning wherever possible.

» Turn off the tap during cleaning if not being used for cleaning purposes.

» Flush the toilet only when necessary during cleaning.

» Report leaking faucets and showerheads to maintenance immediately.

» Report running toilets and toilets that ﬂush poorly or have other issues.

» Use a bucket to catch excess water from a running shower or sink and reuse for

other purposes, such as mopping the ﬂoor or watering plants.

» Do not use running water to melt ice in sinks.

» Save opened bottles of water to water plants.

» Do not replace unopened bottles of water in the rooms.

» Ensure thermostat is set as instructed by management to save energy and water.

LAUNDRY ROOM

» Run the washing machine only with a full load.

» Minimize the rinse cycle as much as possible without reducing quality.

» Use the correct amount of soap to load size so extra rinsing is not required.

OUTDOOR

» Do not use hoses to wash walkways. Use a broom to brush debris away instead.

» Water during the morning or evening instead of middle of the day.

» Report broken or leaking irrigation equipment, such as hoses and sprinkler heads.

POOL AND SPA

» Inspect pool and spa for leaks on a routine basis and make needed repairs.

» Clean ﬁlters manually instead of backwashing if feasible.

» Maintain a proper chemical balance to avoid the need to drain the pool.

» Maintain a lower pool temperature to reduce evaporation, particularly when

not in use.

» Use a pool cover to prevent evaporation if practical.

» Plug the overﬂow line when the pool is in use.

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For more information, scan the code below or visit

http://nyc.gov/dep/conservation/hotels