In keeping with its “commitment to environmental practices,” as espoused in its mission statement, Sandals Grande Antigua has invested in new technology which is expected to reduce the water consumption of its daily laundry processes by up to 70 per cent.
Every day the resort’s laundry room washes 6,000 lbs of linen and uses tens of thousands of gallons of water to do so. The new Aqua Recycle Plant will treat the laundry water and recycle it to be used again.
Sandals Grande Chief Engineer Miquel Camps explained the process of water treatment:
“The system consists of first a vibration mechanism to remove large solids that might be floating around; then in the second stage oil, grease, and detergent are filtered out. In the third stage there is smooth filtration for any fine particles, and then the water is disinfected and sent back to the laundry,” he said.
Camps said the goal is to reduce the fresh water used by laundry so there is more fresh water for human consumption.
Presently, the American-made system, which was installed in November, is being monitored for efficiency and data is being gathered on the amount of water saved. Camps said as the system is improved, he estimates that as much as 80 per cent of waste water will be reusable.
Currently, the water for laundry comes mostly from Sandals’ reverse osmosis plant, thus a 70 percent reduction in demand for washing water would mean significant savings on the reverse osmosis process which is notoriously expensive.
General Manager Gaurav “Mr G” Sindhi while the Aqua Recycle presented an upfront cost to the resort, it will generate savings in the long term.
“After more than a year of drought and water rationing in Antigua, I believe everyone understands the importance of water and the necessity to save this precious commodity,” Sindhi said.
“At Sandals it’s important for us to find innovations that are good for the environment but also good for business. Also, as an Earth Check-certified chain of resorts, Sandals strives to reduce its impact on the environment wherever feasible.”
In early November, Sandals laundry technicians and maintenance staff receiving training in the use, repair and maintenance of the Aqua Recycle plant. They were taught the principles of the recycling system, how to stop the machine on an emergency basis, and to determine if an emergency stop is necessary or if minor adjustments can be made.
This is not the first initiative by Sandals in water conservation. In 2007 the 373-room resort upgraded its aerobic wastewater treatment system which filters and treats wastewater from the hotel’s operations and reuses it for irrigation of the gardens on the 27 acres of property.