How to use less water and save money water conservation As utility costs across the U.S. continue to soar, hotels are feeling the sting and actively searching for measures to become more sustainable in order to save as much money as possible. According to Rob Larson, director of business development at Danze, a kitchen and bathroom fixture manufacturer, one of the easiest ways for hotels to avoid high utilities costs is to lower water output. “Our low-flow showerheads save a great deal of water,” said Larson. “In some areas of the country, [hotels] can turn around the cost of installing our showerheads in three months, just from their lowered utilities.” One fear when it comes to lowering the overall water output of a toilet is that the fixture won’t be able to flush properly without multiple attempts. “We offer a toilet that achieves 1.1 gallons per flush, but it is designed more for back of the house and public areas rather than a guestroom,” said Jeremy Cressman, VP of commercial and metro business development at American Standard. Cressman also discussed the difficulty of trying to develop water-conservation appliances for hotel bathrooms due to a hotel’s focus on the customer experience. Rather than lowering guest satisfaction by reducing water flow in showers, savings are concentrated on by purchasing low-flow toilets instead. But lowering toilet flow is a tricky goal. Cressman said that the hotel industry is currently at a plateau at approximately 1.2 gallons per flush in a hotel guestroom. Anything lower than 1.2 gallons per flush often requires a pressure assist in order to function properly, which can be loud, and hotels find it crucial for guestrooms to have quiet toilets. Kohler is actively combating extra guestroom noise by producing a quiet low-flow toilet for guestrooms. “Our toilets are down to 1.28 gallons per flush while working properly, and that is without double flushing,” said Diana Schrage, senior interior designer at the Kohler Design Center. Low water outputs often lead to double flushing, which can effectively double the water usage of a toilet while annoying guests at the same time. Schrage, however, is confident in Kohler’s toilets. “Some people are concerned that they might have to flush multiple times with such a low water output, but our system works.” ■➔ 1.2 gallons The current water-use threshold for low-flow toilets in guestrooms. Source: Jeremy Cressman, VP of commercial and metro business development at American Standard Low-flow showerheads from Danze use compressed air in order to consistently apply water pressure, despite low water output. DANZE Why green doesn’t disturb the guest experience One of the greatest challenges faced by bathroom designers is a lack of understanding in what exactly it is they provide. According to Rob Larson, director of business development at Danze, manufacturers are working hard to dispel any negative stereotypes of green fixtures and the impact they might have on a guest’s experience. “Manufacturers are catching up, and the products we have been putting out there are helping to change what consumers feel like they need and prefer,” said Larson. “We worked for four years to develop the new technology and deliver a high-efficiency showerhead to address evolving business standards. There was a period where the brands in the hospitality business weren’t making moves.” Larson said that the challenge in marketing a high-performance showerhead is that the industry doesn’t understand that not all showerheads are created equal. “All low-flow showerheads at the basic level are equal, but the high-efficiency heads designed for the luxury level do make a difference,” said Larson. Creating water efficiency can also be an attractive proposition for hoteliers Low-flow equipment can certainly save hotels money in the long run, but can they provide the same visual and stylistic quality as the reliable models that hotels have grown accustomed to? According to Diana Schrage, senior interior designer at Kohler, the answer is yes. “People weren’t always comfortable with concealed trapways in toilets,” said Schrage. “This is slowly changing. Now that manufacturers have the function down they can work on the style of these toilets, and they are becoming more and more attractive. We are at a point where we are marketing our low-flow water efficiency toilets to all areas.” “We’ve traditionally been lower on the style bar, since we market our toilets to public areas,” said Jeremy Cressman, VP of commercial and metro business development at American Standard. “But we’ve had success in places going for modern styles. Our audience sees our product and immediately gets the benefit: a modern, durable product with easy to operate DNA.” Cressman added that toilets with low output in public spaces are helpful for hotels looking to attain LEED certification. “In the hospitality business, even more so when compared to the consumer spectrum, you can just not have an ugly showerhead,” said Rob Larson, director of business development at Danze. “Hotels want to look good, they want a great bed and a nice shower.” Larson said that Danze’s showerheads all contain the same internal low-flow engines and can easily be replaced. “It is easy to change out, and for us it is critical for it to look nice.”