Tintswalo Atlantic in Cape Town has reassured guests with forward bookings that contingency plans are in place to ensure that water services will continue with minimal disruptions.

In addition to sinking a borehole to enable the hotel to be self-sufficient, Tintswalo has invested in new technology to aid water saving, including the installation of pressure reducers on all taps and showers to turn water flow into a fine spray. This, together with many other small, but effective, water-saving measures, has already brought down water consumption at the five-star lodge by about 50%.

Tintswalo Atlantic has switched its laundry operations to Green Planet Laundry, a local commercial laundry operation that makes use of non-potable, purified borehole water, which does not tap into the city’s precious municipal drinking water supply.

Other ways to reduce the hotel’s laundry operations include not changing bedlinen daily, and the use of top quality, recyclable paper napkins during meal service and at guest basins. Waterless hand sanitisers have been introduced throughout the hotel, including in the public bathrooms, and in guest bathrooms guests are encouraged to capture water in the shower in dedicated galvanised mini-baths while running the shower to wait for the optimal temperature. Water captured this way, as well as melted ice collected from ice buckets and ice machines is repurposed and used throughout the hotel for housekeeping purposes.

GM, Ryno du Rand, says: “Tintswalo Atlantic is the only hotel within the Table Mountain National Park, and we therefore exist very close to nature and in tune with the elements. Our swimming pool is filled with sea water and our creative team go to great lengths to inform and educate guests about the water crisis. A beautifully laid-out request in the bath to save water does seem to do the trick and usually manages to convince even the greatest bath lover to swap a soaking in a deep tub with a refreshing, quick shower!”