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With Cape Town’s Day Zero looming, the First Groups’ Cape Town Mount Sierra and Hastings Hall (situated in the heart of the city) and Riviera Suites (on Sea Point’s Millionaire’s Mile) have intensified their efforts to combat the water crisis and safeguard the Cape’s tourism industry.
“Last year we realised that a more sustainable plan had to be made and started planning the installation of boreholes to supply the full water needs of each property to ensure that our guest service levels will not be compromised. However, promoting water conservation behaviour among our staff and guests will remain a priority,” said Johann Jordaan, First Group Services and Resorts Director.
Mount Sierra’s borehole installation is completed, and Hastings Hall and Riviera Suites will be finished by the end of February. The water samples have been sent to a recognised laboratory for analysing and testing. Once the results are available, the necessary treatment plants will be installed, and the certificates issued.
Jordaan emphasised that the staff have adopted a responsible ‘every drop counts’ approach to the daily operations and are vigilant in encouraging guests to do the same. “In-room notices and communication throughout ensure top-of-mind awareness to save water.”
The water-saving measures that guests will experience when staying at these properties include buckets in the shower to catch the water while it heats. This water will then be used for daily cleaning and flushing of toilets. The bath plugs have been removed and guests are requested to take quick showers. Laundry has been reduced by only changing sheets and towels after guests check out.
Where possible, linen tablecloths and serviettes in the restaurants have been replaced with paper alternatives. In the gardens, grass has been replaced with synthetic grass and most plants have also been removed. Water readings are checked daily to ensure that any leaks are quickly detected and immediately repaired.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has also been actively embarking on operational changes and continuously implementing new water-smart initiatives.
William McIntyre, Regional Director of Southern Africa for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, said: “It is vital that both local and international guests in the city are made aware of our current extreme water crisis and strictly adhere to the regulations that have been put in place to save water. The great news is that to date, our guests have been very accommodating, understanding and supportive. In line with these regulations, our hotels are continuously implementing various water-saving measures to ensure that both staff and guests adhere to the prescribed water restrictions.”
The six Carlson Rezidor hotels in the region have removed the large flush option from the dual flush systems and the automatic flush from their urinals, removed all the bath plugs and have installed aerators to reduce water flow from all taps. To restrict water usage in the bathrooms and public areas, the hotels provide hand sanitisers. To reduce the amount of laundry, guests are encouraged to reuse their towels. In addition, the linen is changed every three days or upon request.
Tintswalo Atlantic in Cape Town has decreased its water consumption by 50%. In addition to sinking a borehole to enable the hotel to be self-sufficient, Tintswalo has invested in new technology to aid water saving, including the installation of pressure reducers on all taps and showers to turn water flow into a fine spray.
The hotel has switched to Green Planet Laundry, a local commercial laundry operation that makes use of non-potable, purified borehole water, which does not tap into the city’s precious municipal drinking water supply.
Tintswalo has also held off on changing bedlinen daily and made use of top-quality, recyclable paper napkins during meal service and at guest basins. Waterless hand sanitisers have been introduced throughout the hotel, including in the public bathrooms, and in private bathrooms guests are encouraged to capture water in the shower in dedicated galvanised mini-baths, while waiting for the water to run hot. This water is then used for housekeeping purposes.
Source: tourismupdate.co.za