[ncgreenhotels] Hard Water Costs Hotels A Load of Cash

[Tom Rhodes]

Good day Illustrious NC Greenhotel Members,

The Green Lodging News this week has a really interesting story on the
costs associated with untreated hard water at a hotel. Please pass this
on to those who may benefit. Also, please tell others about this
listserv. Have a great day! 

Warmest wishes,
Tom

IS HARD WATER SAPPING YOUR ENERGY?

By Mike Pederson
Many business owners and managers are well aware of the problems caused
by hard water-from clogged pipes and iron stains to spotty glassware and
inferior drinking water. What they're not always aware of, however, is
the impact of hard water on energy use and the associated costs.
In hotels there are several types of equipment that can be affected by
hard water, in terms of impaired efficiency and wasted energy: boilers,
hot water heaters, cooling towers, humidifiers, washing machines,
dishwashers, and shower heads to name a few.
Let's take a look at how hard water affects the energy efficiency of
boilers. Most municipal water supplies contain hardness ions that
accumulate on heating elements and the internal surfaces of boilers. The
scale buildup has an insulating effect that reduces the element's
ability to heat the surrounding water. The boiler's thermostat continues
to call for heat, so the element heats longer and more often. This
causes wasted energy and high utility bills and ultimately causes the
heating element to fail over time.
When impurities reach an unacceptable level within the boiler, the
impurities need to be removed by a process typically referred to as
"blow down." These impurities are flushed to the drain. Makeup water has
to then be added to the boiler to replace the water that was lost. The
result is waste of water and energy plus more wastewater to drain.
The Hard Costs of Hard Water
According to the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), as
little as 1/16 inch of scale can increase energy consumption by 11
percent. That means significant opportunity for savings. The prevention
of scale formation, even on a small 500 hp boiler, can produce energy
savings up to $30,000 per year.
Based on a study conducted at New Mexico State University, it costs up
to 29 percent more to heat untreated water. The research report, "Water
Softeners as Energy Conserving Investments," sponsored by the Water
Quality Research Council, showed that 29.7 percent more BTUs were
consumed by gas water heaters that had been operated and tested on hard
water than those that were operated on treated water. A total of 21.68
more BTUs were consumed by electric water heaters that had been operated
on hard water.
With hard water, more chemicals and detergents are needed for cleaning.
For every grain of water hardness, detergent use increases 2 to 4
percent for each grain of hardness per 1,000 gallons of water used. An
additional 1.5 pounds of detergent are required. That means increased
costs for detergents and more wastewater with impurities going to the
sewer. That is not good for your business and not good for the
environment.
Why Soft is Better
The solution to hard water problems is "water conditioning," a term
often used generically for water treatment. There are different types of
water treatment solutions-softening, reverse osmosis, or filtration. A
water treatment consultant will typically assess water usage, water
chemistry and space availability to come up with a customized water
treatment solution.
Staff at the Four Seasons Hotel in Dallas reduced scale in the hotel's
boilers by 90 percent by installing a softener system and also reaped
the benefits of a 30 to 35 percent savings in detergent and chemical
use. For a typical restaurant that uses hard water, it costs $1,140 per
month to heat the water (based on $38 per day to heat 4,000 gallons).
Water softening can save as much as 30 percent-a cost savings of $342
per month, adding up to more than $4,000 in savings annually.
Adding water treatment to the mix of other energy savings measures in
your establishment can provide significant benefits: protecting your
investment in energy-saving equipment; improving equipment efficiency;
increasing your chances for an energy-related government tax break; and
helping to protect the environment.
Mike Pederson is manager of application engineers, Culligan
International Co. He can be reached at Mike.Pederson at culligan.com
<mailto:Mike.Pederson at culligan.com > .



Visit us on the Web at: www.p2pays.org

Tom Rhodes
WasteReduction Specialist
NC WasteTrader
NC Division of Pollution Prevention & Environmental Assistance
1639 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699
(919) 715-6516


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