Boardwalk Hotel and Casino reduce municipal water demand with reverse osmosis plant.

Boardwalk Hotel and Casino has commenced using water from its reverse osmosis plant, built last year at a cost of R3,5-million, after receiving its water use licence from the Department of Water and Sanitation in October.

Visitors and guests to the hotel will be using the water, which comes from an underground fresh water source and previously diverted into the ocean, for showering, bathing, flushing of toilets and to wash their hands.

For the past eight years, Nelson Mandela Bay has been held in the grip of one of its worst droughts in history. After heavy rains in the past few months, the Kouga Dam, Churchill, Loerie and Groendal dams are full, however the crucial Impofu Dam hovers around 44% - up from 8% this time last year.

“Installed by a Gqeberha engineering company, the plant supplies us with 100 000 litres of potable water, which is safe for drinking, daily. However, we still provide our guests with bottled water in their rooms,” said Tati Tsunke, General Manager of Boardwalk Hotel and Casino. “This will reduce the demand on the Nelson Mandela Bay municipal system now and in the future to assist during periods of drought.” The water is tested once a month to ensure it is within the acceptable parameters.

The casino is connected to large water storage tanks located at the hotel via a 400-metre pipe. The water fountain uses grey water, the automatic irrigation system has been switched off and watering is being done by hand, using recovered water. The water based air-conditioning tower systems have been adapted to use non-potable water.

Boardwalk Hotel and Casino will use on average 40 000 litres of municipal water per day, depending on occupancy.

The plant was complete in October 2022, and the water use licence granted in October 2023, valid for a period of 20 years.

“With this reverse osmosis plant which uses water that would otherwise be wasted, Boardwalk is happy to once again demonstrate that we are a responsible corporate citizen within Nelson Mandela Bay,” Tsunke concluded.