Why We Can’t Afford to Forget About Water
In the winter of 2024, Cape Town was pummelled by relentless rain. Homes flooded and dams burst their banks as strong winds and record-breaking rainfall lashed the Western Cape. It’s hard to believe that just six years earlier, those same dams were on the verge of running dry with Day Zero looming and the city on the brink of running out of water.
As the dams filled, our collective focus on water resilience drained, overshadowed by more immediate concerns. This is human nature. But we need to remind ourselves that our relationship with water can’t be reactionary. True water resilience demands long-term commitment and responsibility, not just in times of crisis but every day.
The Vineyard Hotel’s water resilience cycle
Pre-crisis: Laying the foundations
At The Vineyard, environmentally conscious hospitality is deeply embedded in our philosophy, strategy, and culture. Long before the 2015-2018 Cape Town water crisis, we had already implemented several proactive water resilience measures to secure our water resources, such as:
- Maintaining a predominantly indigenous garden that requires less water
- Installing a greywater system to recycle water
- Using borehole water to reduce our reliance on municipal supply
- Adopting a whole-food, scratch kitchen approach, reducing food waste and water usage
However, despite being a leader in sustainable practices, Day Zero was a humbling wake-up call for the hotel, reminding us that our relationship with water requires constant attention and innovation.
Crisis mode: Adapting quickly and publicly
As Day Zero approached, we ramped up our water management strategies:
- Our “Choose to Use” campaign, which aimed to reduce water consumption, became a public-facing initiative that engaged our guests and empowered them to participate
- We became the first hotel in South Africa to remove bath plugs from all rooms
- We installed shower timers and placed buckets in showers to catch excess water
- Internally, we launched a “Water Warriors” campaign to educate staff on the crisis, empowering them to conserve water at work and at home
- In crisis mode, our guests and staff were engaged and supportive as they shared in our commitment to saving water
While these visible actions were effective, they were only surface-level solutions. Behind the scenes, we had to confront more complex challenges like leaking irrigation systems and outdated infrastructure. And then there was the wider issue—the hidden water footprint of our supply chain. Take avocados, as an example. Looking back, we didn’t have the insight at the time to consider sourcing alternatives for this water-intensive menu item, which require approximately 2,000 litres of water per kilogram.
We also discovered that our suppliers were facing their own challenges, often unaware of their water impact and unsure how to help. It became clear that collaboration and education were critical to real change.
Lessons learned: Crisis and community
Day Zero exposed our vulnerabilities, but it also revealed the strength of community. The crisis united the tourism industry in a shared narrative focused on sustainability. Our transparent communication with guests built trust and understanding. Staff became champions of water conservation, carrying their knowledge beyond our walls.
But as the immediate threat of drought passed, so did the urgency. The momentum we built began to ebb, drowned out by other challenges competing for attention and resources.
Moving beyond crisis management: A new understanding of resilience:
We need to ask ourselves again: what does water resilience truly mean?
It’s not just about conserving water in times of crisis—it’s about building systems that can withstand and adapt to future challenges. For The Vineyard Hotel, water resilience means looking at the bigger picture—our infrastructure, our ecosystem, and our community—and ensuring that we’re prepared for the next drought, the next flood, the next challenge.
With South Africa averaging 40% less rainfall than the global average, the next drought is always on the horizon. We cannot afford to forget the lessons of Day Zero. We need to continue pushing for sustainable water practices, even when the dams are full.
Our General Manager, Alison McKie aptly noted: “While crises can drive cooperation and make mistakes more acceptable, they don’t inherently build long-term resilience. After the immediate crisis, momentum is quickly lost as other crises overshadow and compete for resources. Communication efforts also faded, and water resilience messages became diluted. For example, this year’s unprecedented rainfall has made it harder to maintain a water-saving mindset… Looking toward responsible tourism futures, there’s no reason why we, as an industry, can’t lead globally as we did during Day Zero by aligning our responsible tourism strategies.”
What’s next for our proactive water resilience measures?
At The Vineyard Hotel, we are committed to a journey of continual learning and innovation in our sustainability efforts. While grand gestures like removing plugs make a statement, we believe it’s the small, thoughtful actions that truly make a difference and create a deeper connection with our guests and staff. Ultimately, our goal is to implement measures that enhance both sustainability and the guest experience.
Here are some of the steps we’re taking to deepen our understanding of our water footprint and engage our guests, staff, and greater community in meaningful ways:
- Shifting our focus to behavioural changes, water reuse, and alternative water sources
- Continually evolving our scratch kitchen approach, using whole foods and local, seasonal ingredients
- Establishing an in-house butchery, ensuring that all our meat is sourced locally and prepared using water-conscious practices
- Developing a circular kitchen model that reduces pre-prepared food use, sources locally, and minimises both carbon and water footprints
- Collaborating with our suppliers to encourage water-conscious practices, and exploring alternatives for water-intensive products
- Reducing our use of single-use plastics
- Adopting circular practices across our food production, including a project to grow our own microgreens using vermicast from our wet waste
- Installing a water bottling plant for our conference centre, providing purified water in glass bottles that can be reused, significantly cutting down on plastic waste
As Alison says: “We are keenly aware that we are at the beginning of this journey to resilience, and given the feedback to date, we feel confident that this proactive engagement with our partners and suppliers has the potential to improve resilience for both direct and indirect stakeholders in the tourism sector.”
Let’s not wait for the next Day Zero
When it comes to water resilience, we can’t afford to wait for the next Day Zero. Instead, we must commit to dialogue, innovation, practical solutions, and a culture that honours this precious resource. At The Vineyard Hotel, we strive to create harmony, balance, and awe through our actions, not just for the short term, but for the future.
As we continue to learn and adapt, we welcome your insights and participation in our water stewardship and sustainability initiatives. By sharing our stories and the steps we take, we hope to inspire a collective consciousness around water conservation. Mistakes will be made along the way, but what matters most is that we learn, adapt, and never stop striving for better.
Ultimately, water resilience is not just a project—it’s a constant, shared commitment. One that we must all uphold, come hell or high water.