Wastewater Reuse on Tourism-Dependent Islands

Feb 22, 2023
 by Seven Seas News Team

Islands that depend on tourism dollars must keep the beautiful water pristine while disposing of millions of gallons of wastewater produced by hotels and other hospitality activities. Reuse is not only financially smart but also environmentally sound.

Treatment technologies build water security at resorts and vacation areas

Remote islands surrounded by crystalline waters are paradise for vacationers. Surrounded by seawater, the islands typically have brackish groundwater and limited freshwater catchment. So those tourism-dependent islands face two major challenges: How do they meet the water demands of their visitors, and how can they safely dispose of the wastewater generated by hospitality activities?

Tourism-dependent islands need to ensure that their guests have access to safe drinking water and adequate water for showering, bathing, and flushing toilets. They must top up swimming pools and maintain landscaping and recreational facilities such as golf courses. Because water supply infrastructure is often lacking on remote islands, water provision can be expensive, and that can limit growth at island resorts.

Island resorts often discharge wastewater into the surrounding ocean, but it can be a challenge to meet the strict regulatory requirements for discharged effluent. If not treated properly, the effluent can harm sensitive marine ecosystems and even destroy the ocean paradise and pristine beaches that attract visitors to these remote shores in the first place.

Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment

Being surrounded by seawater has an upside. It allows the resort to install a desalination plant, which can provide an endless supply of treated water for drinking as well as irrigation, cleaning, and other applications. For water-stressed islands, desalination can provide the water security needed to boost growth.

To enhance water security, while protecting marine ecosystems, the resort’s wastewater can be treated for reuse. This not only keeps nutrient-rich effluent out of coastal waters, preventing algal blooms, but the treated water also can be used to irrigate landscaping and golf courses, maintaining these facilities in peak condition for visitors to enjoy. Because the treated effluent meets regulatory requirements, it can be safely discharged into the environment without polluting groundwater or coastal ecosystems.

Water Security With No Upfront Costs

With Seven Seas Water Group’s Water-as-a-Service® (WaaS®), desalination and wastewater treatment for reuse can be implemented in remote locations with no upfront costs required. Seven Seas partners with clients to provide turnkey treatment solutions while shouldering the costs associated with the design, construction/upgrade, and operation of the plants we install. We effectively own, operate, and maintain the plant on our client’s behalf, ensuring that all regulatory requirements are met. Our clients pay only for the water they use.

With our WaaS® business model, resort managers can focus on their core duties, knowing they have a guaranteed supply of water available without the hassle, stress, and expense associated with maintaining a water or wastewater treatment plant.

Desalination combined with wastewater reuse offers a sustainable solution for ensuring water security at resorts located on remote islands. Contact Seven Seas to learn more about our treatment solutions, and how our WaaS® business model can address your water security needs.

Image Credit: cc0collection/123rf

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