Local business goes above and beyond to save water
Posted: 11 March 2019
Ramada Resort by Wyndham Dunsborough has become a water-saving leader this summer after taking up Busselton Water’s challenge to become a Waterwise Business in Action.
The result saw the Marybrook hotel’s team complete a comprehensive business-wide water audit – scouring the business from top to bottom for improvements – and saving more than 4,000kL of water and thousands of dollars per year.
Ramada Resort Maintenance Manager, Brian Blanchard said the business had made a fundamental commitment to become a waterwise business a year ago.
“After discovering we had a significant leak in one of our water tanks, it highlighted to us just how important it was that we look at every part our operation to make sure we were conserving water,” Brian said.
“It uncovered a lot of inefficiencies in our water network. For example, we discovered our reticulation was 20-years-old and was guzzling a lot of unnecessary water which more modern systems simply don’t do.”
From installing water saving shower heads to more significant actions including replacing a leaking water tank, Ramada Resort has led the way in water saving. Their efforts included:
- installing water saving showerheads in all 84 showers;
- replacing an existing 20,000-litre water tank as well as a pool pump system which had significant leaks;
- removing high-water needs plants from the gardens and looking for native planting opportunities across the entire resort;
- reviewing the current reticulation system which resulted in removing 200 watering heads which were not required; and
- streamlining watering periods, including reducing watering time for lawns and gardens.
“Reviewing water use across the entire resort has been extremely beneficial. Not only are we making financial savings, we’re also proud to be doing our part to conserve local water supplies,” he said.
Busselton Water CEO Chris Elliott commended Ramada Resort and said it was great to see a local business step up its water conservation efforts.
“Ramada Resort is the perfect example of a Waterwise Business in Action – a local business reducing its own impact on the environment and also encouraging water saving in each of the guest rooms too,” Mr Elliott said.
Ramada Resort by Wyndham Dunsborough is one of a number of businesses in the Busselton Water catchment recognised as a Waterwise Business in Action which has demonstrated leadership in waterwise behaviour.