Having the right wastewater service is vital because it’s something visitors don’t notice until there’s a problem
Hotels do their best to provide visitors with a relaxing and luxurious holiday and are invested in the overall guest experience. Yet, while amenities such as swimming pools, golf courses, and fine dining options may draw visitors, basic services such as hotel water treatment and wastewater management are equally important because when they are lacking, guests will notice.
In regions such as the Caribbean, where tourism is a major contributor to the economy — providing more than 2.5 million jobs — it is important to protect the pristine environment that serves as a main attraction to vacationing tourists. With more than 32 million international tourists visiting the region annually, hotels in the region must be able to adequately deal with the sewage generated by the influx of visitors to prevent environmental degradation and potential loss of biodiversity.
In the Caribbean, 70-80% of wastewater is discharged into the environment partially treated or untreated, leading to pollution of groundwater, freshwater systems, and ultimately the surrounding ocean, which can have significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts.
Lack of infrastructure is a contributing factor, but it doesn’t have to be.
Hotels in underserved or remote locations, such as the Caribbean, are turning to decentralized wastewater treatment solutions for on-site sewage treatment, eliminating the need to connect to a centrally located wastewater treatment plant, which may not always be available.
Challenges for Hotels: Fluctuating Demand & High Volume
Hotels frequently encounter fluctuating demand due to seasonal tourism, which can lead to spikes in wastewater production.
One common challenge that hotels often face is fluctuating demand due to seasonal usage. During peak tourist seasons, hotels and resorts may face increased demand, leading to spikes in wastewater production. On-site systems need to be flexible and scalable to cope with these fluctuations. Hotels can overcome this challenge by having treatment plants designed to cope with peaks in demand by adding capacity or opting for modular systems that can be easily expanded.
In addition, hotels’ operations, including guest amenities like bathrooms and pools, require vast amounts of water. This results in significant wastewater production that needs efficient treatment. One way to reduce wastewater volume is to implement simple water conservation measures such as installing water-saving fixtures and fittings. Another is to recycle grey water from showers, sinks, and laundry for reuse on-site to reduce the strain on sewage systems.
On-site wastewater treatment systems often include sedimentation, filtration, biological treatment, and disinfection processes to remove solids and pathogenic microorganisms before the treated effluent is discharged into the environment or used in non potable applications.
Hotels are turning to decentralized wastewater treatment to address their on-site sewage needs.
Advanced wastewater treatment technologies such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs) — which combine conventional biological treatment processes with membrane filtration — can produce high-quality effluent that can be safely discharged or reused for things like landscape irrigation and dust control. Because MBR systems do not require a clarifying tank, they take up less space than conventional activated sludge plants. Their compact design makes them suitable for modular plants, which allows for easy expansion should demand increase in the future. MBR systems also offer the flexibility to handle fluctuating loads.
Treating wastewater for reuse on-site reduces the overall water consumption of the hotel, lowers operational costs, and enhances sustainability. In water-scarce regions such as the Caribbean, recycling wastewater for reuse not only addresses the environmental impacts associated with discharging poorly treated wastewater into the surrounding ocean, but also reduces the demand on limited sources of fresh water.
Outsourcing Wastewater Management
Often the capital outlay required for efficient wastewater treatment can be a stumbling block. Hotel operators can overcome this challenge by outsourcing wastewater treatment to a team of professionals. By opting for Seven Seas’ Water-as-a-Service® (WaaS®®) solution, hotel operators can get state-of-the-art wastewater treatment technology with no upfront capital investment. Seven Seas will design and build a new wastewater treatment plant or upgrade an existing plant, and on completion will operate the plant on the hotel’s behalf. All operations and maintenance are included, and there are no hidden costs. Customers pay a set price for the volume of wastewater treated.
Case Study: Complete Water Cycle Solution in Turks and Caicos
Hotels in the Caribbean often face a double challenge: limited access to fresh water and the need to manage wastewater responsibly. Seven Seas provided a comprehensive solution for Leeward Estates , addressing both concerns.
Leeward Estates needed a reliable source of clean water for its residents and guests. Additionally, the development required an efficient wastewater treatment system to avoid environmental impact on the pristine surroundings.
Seven Seas installed a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant that ensured a consistent supply of high-quality potable water and eliminated the dependence on limited freshwater resources. A state-of-the-art MBR wastewater treatment plant was installed, which treated wastewater to a high standard, allowing for safe reuse for irrigation on-site. This not only protected the delicate ecosystem but also reduced the development’s reliance on freshwater for irrigation, further promoting sustainability.
Sewage management for hotels and large developments involves a combination of infrastructure, treatment technologies, regulatory compliance, and innovative approaches to sustainability . By investing in effective sewage systems, hotels can ensure safe and efficient disposal of wastewater while minimizing their environmental impact and maintaining operational efficiency.
Contact Seven Seas to learn more about wastewater treatment as a service , as well as other financing solutions we offer. Leave wastewater management in the hands of professionals while you take care of your guests.
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