Using Less Water

Our CodeGreen strategy includes ambitious water conservation targets. With well over 100,000 faucets in our properties, plus shower heads and other water-consuming appliances, we have an ongoing job to ongoing and significant needs that we use water wisely and ensure against leaks. Our air conditioning systems have a major impact on water consumption, and by ensuring efficient water treatment strategies we have been able to reduce water use in our mechanical cooling systems. Similarly, the cooperation of our guests who accept reduced-frequency laundering of bedding and towels has enabled us to become even more water (and energy) efficient. We have made significant improvements in water management, both in our guest rooms at several properties where we installed reduced-flow fixtures, and in other aspects of our property management, such as our golf courses in Nevada which use reclaimed water for irrigation purposes Nonetheless, achieving our water targets remains a challenge, and although we can record a 7 percent reduction in water consumption per air-conditioned square foot since our baseline in 2008, we have more to do to achieve our targeted 10 percent reduction by 2015 and overall 15 percent reduction by 2020.