Drury Hotels Chooses Caroma Dual Flush Toilets for Seven Hotels | Green Lodging News

Drury Hotels Chooses Caroma Dual Flush Toilets for Seven Hotels | Green Lodging News.

Source: Green Lodging News

Drury Hotels Chooses Caroma Dual Flush Toilets for Seven Hotels

 

 

5/6/2009

 

HILLSBORO, ORE.—Drury Hotels, a 100 percent family owned and operated mid-scale hotel company, has chosen Caroma, a leader in dual flush toilets, to supply water-saving toilets to seven hotels in the Drury chain, including the Drury Inn and Suites, Pear Tree Inn, and the Drury Plaza. This includes three retrofit projects (one in 2007 and two completed in early 2009) to replace older, higher water usage toilets and four new constructions (one in 2008 and 2009 and two in 2010).

Caroma’s first installation with Drury Hotels in 2007 was part of San Antonio Water System’s commercial toilet retrofit program at the Pear Tree Inn, San Antonio, Texas. As a result of high efficiency dual flush toilets and low flow showerheads being installed, the water consumption reduced by an average of 50 percent from 2006 to 2009 for the same three-month period. The impressive results in water savings and performance are now being experienced in other Drury Hotels in San Antonio as well as Flagstaff, Ariz., and in hotels opening during 2009 and 2010 in Phoenix, Wichita, Kan., and San Antonio.

Caroma was chosen as the dual flush toilet provider to help maximize water savings in the bathrooms. The Sydney Smart range was installed during two retrofit projects in early 2009. The Sydney Smart features a 1.28 gallon full flush button for solid waste and 0.8 gallon half flush option for liquid and paper waste, averaging just 0.9 gallons per flush. This saves nearly 44 percent more water compared to the nationally-mandated 1.6 gallon toilet. Assuming an average of 125 rooms with a 70 percent occupancy rate and eight flushes per room, one Drury hotel can save more than 664,000 gallons of water annually compared to a 3.5 gallon toilet and 178,000 gallons compared to a single flush 1.6 gallon toilet. The Sydney range installed in two earlier hotel projects use 1.6 gallons per flush for solid waste and 0.8 gallons per flush for liquid and paper waste, averaging only 0.96 gallons per flush based on a 1:4 full/half flush ratio.

Water Expenses Reduced

“Our focus at Drury Hotels is ensuring that our guests receive quality and consistency at a good value,” says Gregg Mrzlak, mechanical project manager from Drury Southwest, Inc. “We are also very aware of the drought conditions throughout the Southwest, and by using Caroma water-conserving toilets, we are able to save considerable water each year and reduce our water costs. A great added benefit by using Caroma is a reduction in maintenance due to blockages being eliminated. We have been very pleased with the dual flush toilets and will be using them in future retrofits and new installations where possible.”

“The Caroma dual flush toilets have been a great addition to our hotels because they reduce hotel water costs considerably each year and reduce the burden on San Antonio’s water systems,” says Danielle Poyner, LEED AP for Drury Southwest, Inc. “In addition to these benefits, the toilets have also contributed to Drury Hotels earning LEED Certification at the Drury Inn & Suites in Flagstaff and for hotels seeking LEED certification that will be opening soon, including Drury Inn & Suites La Cantera in San Antonio, Texas, Drury Inn & Suites in Phoenix, and Drury Plaza in Wichita, Kan.”

“In addition to the substantial water savings experienced at the Pear Tree Inn, we have reduced the number of clogs from three to five per week prior to Caroma toilets being installed to zero clogs in more than two years,” explains Aaron Francisco, property manager at Pear Tree Inn, San Antonio. “Our customers like the fact that we are helping conserve water, but also that the toilets look very modern. We didn’t have to sacrifice style for water conservation.”

Go to Caroma.

Welcome Eddie!

I was very happy to hear today that Eddie Wilcut, former Water Conservation Manager for the City of San Antonio has joined the Caroma USA team as their new National Water Conservation Manager. This appointment reinforces Caroma’s continued commitment to Water conservation in North America. Please see a recent Press release, published by Caroma below:

HILLSBORO, OREGON – February 2, 2009 – Caroma, a leader in dual flush toilets and stylish bathroom sinks, today announced the appointment of Eddie Wilcut as National Water Conservation Manager. Wilcut will report to Caroma North American General Manager Derek Kirkpatrick.

Wilcut’s responsibilities in this new position for Caroma North America include developing water conservation programs and assisting the efforts of local representatives and master distributors in delivering successful results with local water authorities, governments, etc. He will also be focusing on industry-specific sectors, such as hotels and educational institutions, to educate on water conservation and how programs can be implemented to conserve water resources.

Wilcut brings more than 10 years of water conservation background to Caroma. Since 1998, he has worked at San Antonio Water System (SAWS) as a Commercial Planner and most recently as Conservation Manager. During his tenure at SAWS, Wilcut oversaw all residential, commercial, and institutional conservation programs aimed at reducing indoor water consumption. Additionally, he worked with businesses and industries to develop new and innovative programs that have been used as models for other conservation programs across the country.

Wilcut has published more than two dozen articles on water conservation, including topics such as cooling tower efficiency, rainwater harvesting, and institutional conservation program development. He has a Masters of Applied Geography degree in Resource and Environmental Studies and Bachelors of Applied Arts degree, both from Texas State University.

“We are very pleased to have Eddie joining the Caroma team,” states Derek Kirkpatrick. “He has considerable experience in educating the public on water-conserving technologies and products. With his strong background and initiative, he will be a great asset to expanding Caroma’s presence in North America.”

About Caroma

Since 1941, Caroma has been a world leader in quality and innovation of bathroom products, continually providing reliable, high efficiency toilet suites and sinks. With 41 WaterSense labeled toilets – more than any company in the industry – and complimentary, stylish sinks, Caroma offers award-winning products that help preserve the world’s most valuable resource – water. Combining quality, water-conserving products with superior customer service, Caroma has been chosen by businesses and households worldwide for exceptional performance and stylish design. The company can be contacted by phone at 1 800 605 4218, via email at info@caromausa.com, or on the Web at www.caromausa.com. 

 

 

Holiday Inn Select: Conserving Water and Recycling to protect the Environment

Source: Caroma Case Study

Company:

Holiday Inn Select at San Antonio Airport, San Antonio, Texas

Problems:

• High monthly water usage
• Staff time required to fixtoilet issues

Solution:

397 Caroma Sydney 270 Elongated High Efficiency Toilets

Benefits:

• Clogged toilets reduced by100% (from 20/week to 0)
• Nearly 7 million gallons of water saved per year from high efficiency toilets and showerheads
• Positive customer feedback on conservation efforts

Case Study Highlights

The Holiday Inn Select is located near the San Antonio airport and only minutes from beautiful downtown and its many attractions. With its recent six million dollar renovation, the hotel and its 397 guest rooms are fully equipped to accommodate every traveler’s needs, whether for business or pleasure.

San Antonio has been experiencing a drought for many years. Increased population growth is also straining the water resources, and water restrictions are enforced year-round. Many industries rely on water for their survival, and hospitality is no different.

Without a reliable water supply, hotels would struggle to satisfy customer requirements. However, the Holiday Inn Select is leading the way in conserving water and protecting the environment.

Holiday Inn Select:

Conserving millions of gallons of water with high efficiency toilets

The Holiday Inn Select received the 2008 WaterSaver Award from San Antonio Water System (SAWS). Every year, SAWS honors businesses that have increased their water use efficiency or promote water conservation through education or technology. Holiday Inn Select installed high efficiency fixtures in every guest room, saving nearly seven million gallons of water per year. Scott Larsen, General Manager of Holiday Inn Select, strongly supports the protection of the environment. “We at the Holiday Inn believe that we need to preserve water in order to help the drought condition in San Antonio but also to help protect the environment and have water to use for other critical necessities. The best part about water conservation: it is so easy for you and me. It’s as simple as changing a fixture in a bathroom.”

Holiday Inn Select had an in-house guest that knew about SAWS commercial programs for water conservation and discussed the potential with Larsen. 40% of SAWS’ annual water sales are from commercial customers, such as the hospitality industry, and there is a great potential for water savings through the commercial conservation programs. Larsen contacted SAWS regarding water conservation programs, and in July 2007, the Holiday Inn Select began installing high efficiency toilets. A high efficiency toilet provides a 20% water savings over the industry standard of 1.6 gallons per flush. Many households and industries have toilets installed that use considerably more water per flush: 3.5 gallon, 5 gallon, and even 7 gallon toilets are still being used. By simply replacing an older, high volume toilet with a high efficiency toilet, thousands of gallons of water could be saved in a single household. Prior to July 2007, the Holiday Inn Select had 3.5 gallon per flush toilets installed in their 397 guest rooms. Through the SAWS commercial program, Caroma Sydney 270 elongated toilets were chosen to replace the older toilets. The Sydney 270 elongated toilets, as well as all Caroma toilets, are high efficiency and dual flush. Being dual flush, the user has two options for flushing. A full flush for solid waste uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush. A half flush is used for liquid and paper waste and uses only 0.8 gallons of water per flush. Based on a one to four solid to liquid flush ratio, the Sydney range of toilets averages only 0.96 gallons per flush. Comparing that to the 3.5 gallon toilets previously installed, each Caroma toilet installed saves more than 2.5 gallons per flush.

“Installing the Caroma dual flush toilets are one of the best ways to conserve water,” states Larsen. “After just one month of use, the water savings were tremendous. It is amazing to think that if we are only at 50% occupancy and have three flushes per room, we’d save more than 1500 gallons of water – in just one day! Combining the savings from the Caroma toilets and high efficiency showerheads, we expect to save about 6.9 million gallons of water per year.” The water savings have been impressive. For example, when comparing January-November 2006 versus 2008 indoor water usage results, the Holiday Inn Select saved more than 4.4 million gallons of water, averaging a 31% savings each month.

Replacing other toilets with Caroma dual flush toilets are an easy process. According to Larsen, “The installation process went very smoothly. For such a large retrofit project, we did not lose one room night due to the installation.” The two piece toilets have a large concealed trapway. The trap is nearly double the industry average. “We have been amazed at the number of blockages we’ve experienced….or in this case, the number we have not experienced. We used to average 20 clogged toilets per week, but since the Caroma toilets have been installed, blockages have been totally eliminated. Our maintenance engineers can focus efforts on other areas.” Another benefit to Holiday Inn Select is the guest comments. “Our guests just love the toilets. We’ve received many positive comments about the design of the toilet and most importantly, how great it is that we’re helping conserve precious water resources.”

 

“We strongly believe in conserving environmental resources, and the Caroma toilets help us save about 6.9 million gallons of water per year.”

Scott Larsen, General Manager Holiday Inn Select San Antonio Airport

Other conservation efforts

Holiday Inn Select is a conservation leader. Not only are they saving millions of gallons of water each year, but they are the first hotel in San Antonio to implement a recycling program. Starting at the end of 2006 with recycling paper, the hotel saved 21 million tons in the first year! The successful program then expanded to include glass, cardboard, aluminum, and paper, and in the first five months, saved more than 37 million tons of recycled material. This is a substantial savings for the local landfills.

In early 2006, the hotel also replaced older light bulbs with compact fluorescent lighting.

This uses less energy and saves on greenhouse gas emissions. Combining the recycling and lighting conservation efforts, the hotel is expecting to save $44,000 per year.

Holiday Inn Select is a true leader in resource conservation. With its water conservation efforts replacing older fixtures with high efficiency Caroma toilets and showerheads, recycling and lighting programs, Holiday Inn Select San Antonio Airport is a pioneer for the hospitality industry.

2009 changes

During 2009, Caroma will be replacing the Sydney range of high efficiency toilets with Sydney Smart HETs, providing even greater water savings. The dual flush Sydney Smart range uses 1.28 gallons per flush for a full flush and 0.8 gallons per flush for half flush, averaging only 0.9 gallons per flush. The Sydney Smart range includes six bowl configurations and is now available in white and biscuit.

 “We used to average 20 clogged toilets per week, but since the Caroma toilets have been installed, blockages have been totally eliminated.”

Scott Larsen, General Manager of Holiday Inn Select

SAWS – San Antonio Water System – Water conservation Program and Rebate

SAWS has developed these water-wise programs and rebates to encourage conservation by saving you a lot of green for residential as well as commercial customers.

If you’re a homeowner and a SAWS customer, you can get these great rebates by taking steps to conserve water:

• Watersaver Landscape Rebate
• Free Water-efficient Toilet 
• Wash Right Washing Machine Rebate
• Hot-Water-On-Demand System Rebate

With Commercial customers accounting for 10% of the customer base and 40% of SAWS’ annual water sales, there is great potential for water savings through their commercial conservation programs:

Commercial Large Scale Retrofit Rebate
SAWS provides an economic incentive in the form of rebates to those customers that choose to convert to water-saving equipment and practices.

Commercial Toilet Retrofit Program
Choose from one, or any combination of our program options designed to significantly reduce your company’s water bill and overall water consumption.

Commercial Cooling Tower Audit
SAWS is offering a free audit that can help you improve the performance of your cooling tower.

Restaurant Certified WaterSaver Program
Retrofitting your business with water-conserving products can lower your operating costs. SAWS is offering you free retrofits and installation to help you become a Certified WaterSaver!

Golf Fore SA
Golf Fore SA is the first program of its kind to help golf courses develop conservation and community-oriented practices and provide certification for their achievement.

In addition to the above mentioned programs, SAWS also offers the following programs:

Season to Save Community Challenge
Did you know you can raise money for your neighborhood group or non-profit association and save thousands of gallons of water at the same time? 

Seasonal Irrigation Program
The amount of water your lawn needs is probably less than you think. But how do you know how much it takes to keep it healthy? Just follow the “Seasonal Irrigation Program” or SIP advice each week.

Home Water Conservation Audit
Want to keep money from going down the drain? Get a free audit, and learn how! By performing a a simple water audit you can save water and money.

Why Conserve?

The Edwards Aquifer is the primary source of water for Central Texas. It stretches for over 8,000 sq. miles only 500 feet below the surface and supplies over 1.3 million people with high-quality drinking water. That’s why it’s so important to increase our efforts in protecting and conserving San Antonio’s number one natural resource.

SAWS is a permitted water system with overall regional limits to pumping. Translated into English, this means they’re only allowed so much water from the Edwards Aquifer. That’s why it’s so important to save it. Conservation is the cheapest source of water. Water we save is water we don’t have to buy. So it’s important we do everything we can to decrease our water consumption. Plumbing fixture retrofits, watersaver landscapes, and improved habits are all things that will help us make low water use a part of every person’s everyday life.

Please visit the San Antonio Water System’s website to view the information posted above as well as a lot more helpful info, tips and advise on how to conserve water.

The San Antonio Water System is truly a Leader in the US for implementing Water Conservation Programs. Lets ask our communities to adopt some (or all) of these programs to ensure the availability of clean drinking water in the future.

Caroma’s Latest Introduction Sets New Conservation Standard

Caroma has launched its most water conscious toilet yet – the Sydney Smart. This latest addition to the company’s line of dual flush toilets, and already WaterSense approved by the EPA, offers the lowest water use of any toilet available in America.

Caroma is the world leader with innovative, high efficiency toilets. The Caroma Smart (TM) Technology is leading-edge and has been developed and mastered over the last decade to deliver the ultimate of design, water savings, and performance. Sydney Smart, Caroma’s newest dual flush, is the first dual-flush toilet utilizing 0.8 gpf for the half and only 1.28 gpf for the full flush, therefore provides significant water savings. With the built-in lower flush option, typically used four times more often than the larger flush, Sydney Smart provides the highest water savings of any high efficiency toilet (HET) available, as it calculates to an average of 0.89 gallons per flush.

Like all Caroma toilets, Sydney Smart uses Wash Down flushing instead of siphon action and has a trapway nearly double the industry average. Caroma engineers enhanced the water dynamics from the flush valve to the bowl to ensure that a small volume of water would successfully evacuate the bowl and all the way through the drain line. The Smart models maintain Caroma’s reputation for clog-proof performance.

The continuing drought in the South, California’s new legislation mandating high efficiency toilets and the eco-movement are forcing Americans to consider water saving strategies like those developed in Australia, where droughts are measured in years, rather than months.  Dual flush toilets are credited as one of the chief ways per capita water consumption has been cut 25 percent over the last decade.

Since introducing dual flush toilets twenty-five years ago in Australia, Caroma continually has advanced the performance of its products.  The Smart technology, setting a new benchmark for water efficiency, was used in product installed at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and later incorporated into the line in 2004.  The Sydney Smart arrives here after years of market acceptance in Australia and Caroma’s Asian markets.

The Sydney Smart is an EPA-approved WaterSense toilet, meaning it is among the most water-efficient and best performing models on the market.  Caroma is the industry leader with 41 Water Sense models. 

Caroma, a wholly owned subsidiary of GWA International Limited, a Brisbane, Australia-based company, is at the forefront of water efficient plumbing, and exports products to 39 countries. Its development and constant improvement of dual flush technology have led to dual flush toilets outselling single flush toilets around the world.

SOURCE  Caroma USA, ebuild and Reuters

If you are interested in finding out more about Caroma Dual Flush toilets, visit www.ecotransitions.com. To view videos showing why Caroma toilets work, visit ecoTransitions on YouTube. Watch an amazing video of Eddie Wilcut, the Water Conservation Manager for the City of San Antonio, flushing a Russet potato down a Caroma toilet with the full flush (1.6 gallon) AND half flush (0.8 gallon), which is meant for liquid waste.

Learn even more about Caroma Dual Flush Toilets here

San Antonio Water System gives away 20,000 free Caroma Dual Flush toilets

Perhaps the City of Atlanta should consider this. San Antonio has implemented an incredible program, resulting in tremendous water savings PLUS lots of business for plumbers. Read full article here 

http://www.reevesjournal.com/CDA/Articles/Cover_Story/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000283282