look for
Putting WaterSense® to Work
Laundry Day Means Big Savings
for San Antonio, Texas, Hotel
Sector: Hotels; Focus: Sanitary Fixtures and Equipment
Project Summary
With tourism being the second largest industry in San Antonio, Texas,
San Antonio Water System (SAWS) realized that water efficiency
upgrades in hotels could amount to major water and energy savings.
As a result, SAWS created the WaterSaver Hotel program, which
offers participating hotels a comprehensive approach to water
conservation that includes rebates for laundry technologies as well as
assistance in retrofitting sanitary fixtures.
Water use in restrooms and laundries can account for nearly half of a
hotel's total water use. Built after 1992, the Westin Riverwalk already
had high-efficiency toilets installed but recognized that reducing its
laundry facility water use could result in additional water and utility cost
savings. Looking to curb water waste in its laundry facility, the Westin
Riverwalk Hotel approached SAWS about participating in the program
in 2011.
Through the program, the Westin Riverwalk replaced three 125-pound
washers and one 55-pound washer/extractor with high-efficiency
models. These replacements resulted in a 45 percent reduction in
water use. In addition, the hotel worked with SAWS to install a last-
rinse, first-wash reclaim. This
simple water recycling
system reuses water from the
final rinse for the first wash of
the next load. Because final
rinse water can almost
always be reused without
prior treatment, these
systems can save between
10 and 35 percent of the
Case Study
Highlights
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Hotel: Westin Riverwalk Hotel
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Number of guest rooms: 473
Water savings: Reduced
laundry water consumption by 65
percent, saving more than 2.2
million gallons of water per year
or 6.75 acre-feet.
Cost savings: $20,000 in water,
sewer, and energy costs
annually.
Westin Riverwalk reduced its overall
water use by 65 percent through water-
efficient laundry facility upgrades.
water needed to wash a load
of laundry. The last-rinse, first-wash reclaim helped Westin Riverwalk
increase its water savings by an additional 20 percent for an overall 65
percent reduction in laundry water use. Specifically, water use was
reduced from 2.82 to 0.99 gallons of water per pound. Because the
Westin Riverwalk averages seven loads per day at 240 pounds per load,
these laundry efficiency projects account for more than 2.2 million
gallons of water saved per year.
PHONE (866) WTR-SENS (98/-7367) WEBSITE www.epa.gov/watersenseEMAlLwatersense@epa.gov
ArnA EPA-830-F 14-002-E
OCm July 2014

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Westin Riverwalk's laundry upgrades were made more affordable through the WaterSaver Hotel rebate program.
The hotel's initial $79,000 investment was offset by $27,000 worth of qualifying rebates. Westin Riverwalk's
estimated annual water and sewer savings total approximately $11,000, with nearly $9,000 in additional annual
energy savings each year. The payback period for the hotel was 2.6 years, with water and utility cost savings
continuing to provide payback for years to come.
Learn More
To learn more about water efficiency in commercial and institutional buildings, visit the WaterSense website at
www.epa.gov/watersense/commercial to access WaterSense at Work best management practices, tools, case
studies, and more.
Acknowledgements
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) WaterSense program
acknowledges San Antonio Water System Conservation Planner Brandon Leister
for providing information for this case study.
San
Antonio
Water
System

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