Spier’s Water-Saving Achievements Win Big At Cape Town Tourism Member Awards
Spier has won the Future Forward Thinkers for Environmental Sustainability category at the inaugural Cape Town Tourism Member Awards.
The category recognises a member of Cape Town Tourism (the Mother City’s official regional tourism organisation) that has adopted an innovative and long-term approach to sustainably managing energy, water and waste. Saving water, using energy efficiently and reducing and managing waste are Cape Town’s three environmental responsible tourism priorities.
“Future Forward is what will drive our strategic thinking; not just in building on our sustainable tourism foundations, but in addressing inclusivity as we evolve as an industry. The private and public sector has, over the past year, collaborated to produce meaningful results, and, as Cape Town Tourism, we’d like to acknowledge and thank each and every industry representative for standing firm during this time and acting swiftly to ensure that our industry has a future, a bright one that is a beacon on the global stage of sustainable tourism. Together, we are living the goal of being Future Forward.” – Cape Town Tourism CEO, Enver Duminy
In particular, it was Spier’s achievements and vision in water conservation that resulted in us being awarded with this great honour.
Since 2007, Spier’s eco-friendly wastewater treatment plant has recycled 100% of its of black- and grey-water. The treated water is used for irrigation and in some of the estate’s toilets. By June 2018, Spier had reduced its consumption of municipal water by 68% for hotel guests and by 76% for conferencing delegates. In its hospitality operations, industrial water usage has dropped by 64% as a result of recycling, re-using and reduction strategies.
Looking ahead
With its recently completed Integrated Water Strategy, Spier’s water-saving goals continue to be ambitious. Between 2020 and 2050, it hopes to gradually phase out using external water supplies and increase water re-use. The aim is ultimately to achieve a net-zero water balance. A net-zero water balance is defined as the integration of activity or development into the hydrological system of the local environment in a way that limits consumption of water resources to the natural carrying capacity of the region. The utilised water is returned to the local watershed so as not to deplete or degrade the water resources in that region in terms of quantity or quality.