EPA Launches WaterSense H2Otel Challenge to Encourage Water Savings

EPA News Release:

CONTACT: Carissa Cyrancyran.carissa@epa.gov 202-564-4363 202-564-4355 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 5, 2014 EPA Launches WaterSense H2Otel Challenge to Encourage Water Savings National awareness campaign helps hotels save water and money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today launched the WaterSense H2Otel Challengeas a way for agency partners and other organizations to encourage hotels to use best management practices that will save water and money, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.  “Hotels that reduce their water use will not only help their community save precious resources, but can gain a competitive edge in today’s green marketplace,” said Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “Since 2006, WaterSense has helped Americans save more than 487 billion gallons of water, and now we’re building on that success to help hotels take their sustainability efforts to the next level.” From New York City’s Times Square to the Las Vegas strip, hotels across the country will take a pledge to “ACT”—assess, change, and track their water use in the following ways: - Assess water use and savings opportunities throughout the hotel. - Change products and processes to more water-efficient models and methods. - Track water reduction progress before and after incorporating best management practices. Caesars Entertainment is the first company to sign up for the H2Otel Challenge. “At Caesars Entertainment's resorts throughout the country, we know that sustaining our local water supply is as important as providing the best entertainment experience we can to our guests. Over the last few years we successfully implemented several water saving projects, such as adding low-flow showerheads and sink aerators at our Las Vegas resorts. We are excited to participate in the WaterSense H2Otel Challenge and to identify where we can make even greater improvement to our operations," said Eric Dominguez, Corporate Director of Engineering, Utilities and Environmental Affairs for Caesars Entertainment. “Here in Las Vegas, the hospitality industry is critical to our local economy. Fortunately, our hotel and resort industry has long been a valuable partner in our successful efforts to improve water efficiency in the hospitality sector”, said Doug Bennett, Conservation Manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. “We are excited that some of our largest resorts will share their knowledge and participate in the H2Otel Challenge.” By tackling projects throughout their properties, hotels can find ways to improve their water efficiency and performance while providing the highest quality experience for guests. To help hotels make operational changes and meet growing customer demand for green lodging, EPA will initiate a series of educational webinars on February 13, 2014 and provide free tools based on the online guide, WaterSense at Work: Best Management Practices for Commercial and Institutional Facilities. WaterSense will also offer outreach materials for hotels to publicize their efforts and celebrate their successes with guests and employees. For more information about the challenge, visit the WaterSense website at www.epa.gov/watersense/challenge.