RAINWATER HARVESTING
IN THE
HOSPITALITY SECTOR
GREGORY GIBBS BAKIE
WHAT IS RAIN WATER HARVESTING?
 The process of collecting, conveying and storing
rainwater for future beneficial use.
 Rainwater can be stored for direct use or recharged into
the ground water aquifer.
 For the purposes of this presentation we will be focusing
on Rainwater Harvesting for direct use.
WHY RAINWATER HARVESTING?
 Water is our most vital resource – it supports life and life
support systems.
 There is approximately 1, 400 km3
of water on earth.
 Only 1% is easily available for human use.
 This amount will continue to decrease as the world’s
population expands.
WHY RAINWATER HARVESTING?
 Current and future water supplies are being degraded by
pollution from:
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
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domestic waste
solid waste
industrial effluent
Agricultural drainage, etc
 What does all this mean?

Less water for our needs!
WHY RAINWATER HARVESTING?

An average person:
6 – 44 GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY
WHY RAINWATER HARVESTING?

For a hotel of about 500 guests:
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
At least 300 gallons of water is needed per guest per day.
This does not account for water needed for:



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Irrigation
Kitchens
Laundry Facilities
Toilets
Swimming Pools
Swimming Pools
Spas
Landscape Irrigation
WHY RAINWATER HARVESTING?
 Traditional water sources:
 Surface waters (rivers, lakes, ponds, etc)
 Ground water (water stored underground in aquifers)
 Rainwater
 Our most viable source is rainwater.
WHY RAINWATER HARVESTING?
 Rainwater Harvesting is:
 The oldest method of securing water practiced by ancient
civilizations
 It has been around for more than 4, 000 years
 It is the most simple and low-cost means of water supply
 It employs technologies that are generally easy to install and
maintain.
 The water is free!
HOW?
 Rainwater capture:
 Rooftops
 Surface runoffs (drains, slopes, pavements)
 For this presentation, we will be concentrating on
Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting.
RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM
 Components of a Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting System:
 Roof Catchment
 Gutters
 Downpipes & First Flushing
Pipe
 Filters
 Storage Tank
The
Experience
 A Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting System was
implemented at the Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa in
St. Lucia in 2011
The
Experience
 Water Challenges:
 Four (4) swimming pools including a water park and lazy
river.
 Pools range in size from 20, 000 – 400, 000 gallons.
 10, 000 gallons of water a day is used to maintain pools and
for irrigation purposes.
 The Water Company shuts down water supply during heavy
rainfall.
 The Hotel needed an alternative source of water, one that
was economical and sustainable.
The
Experience
 Rooftops of room blocks used as
water catchments.
 Each block fitted with gutters
and down pipes along the entire
length.
The
Experience
 Roof Catchments, Gutters and Down pipes
The
Experience
The
Experience
 Down pipes lead directly to the underground storage tanks.
 Storage Tanks:
 Two (2) 8, 000 gallon underground storage tanks.
 One (1) on either side of the room blocks.
Storage Tanks
 Built to blend in with landscaping.
The
Experience
Underground
rainwater storage
tanks
The
Experience
 From the tanks the water is send to
pumps.
5 HP Water Pump
The
Experience
 Water is pumped into the pool pump room.
 It goes through the Chlorination System.
The
Experience
 The structures are built to blend in with the landscape.
Pool Pump Room
The
Experience
 From the Pool Pump Room, the water is pumped into the
swimming pools.
The
Experience
 Rain water from the roof of the surrounding buildings are
also pumped through the Sewerage System to the
processing tanks.
Sewerage Pump System
The
Experience
 Sewerage System:
 Takes in sewerage from the hotel.
 Rainwater from the surrounding buildings.
The
Experience
 Sewerage System:
 Raw sewerage and rainwater is processed to remove
contaminants.
The
Experience
 The end-product, grey water, is distributed to the irrigation
system and filtered to prevent the sprinklers from clogging.
The
Experience
 Water is used to irrigate lawns, flowers and plants on the
hotel property.
The
Experience
 Advantages for the Hotel:
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Reduced cost to maintain pools;
Contribute to the Green Movement by conserving water.
Contribute to the sustainability of water resources on the island.
Address some of the challenges faced with shortage of water
supply on the island, particularly when it rains heavily.
The
Experience
 The Way Forward:
 Increase use for grey water.
 Increase uses for rainwater, e.g. to flush toilets, maintenance,
etc.
 Increased sustainability of the project by converting rainwater
into potable water and to recognize a greater impact in savings.
THE END!
THANK YOU.