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Introduction
- Background
- Research Objectives
- Research Questions and Hypotheses
- Significance of Research
- Outline of the Thesis
The purpose of the study is to assess the perception and willingness to reuse gray water in hotels in Abu Dhabi. This is the first research study of its kind to specifically examine greywater reuse in hotels in Abu Dhabi.
Literature Review
Introduction
Research Paradigm Assumptions
In this case, the researcher is independent of the research and attempts to objectively derive outcomes based on collected data. This creates the impression that the research is objective from what is being researched (Hussey, 2009).
Greywater
Total Nitrogen Measures the nitrogen content in greywater, which gives an indication of whether there is organic content in the water. Specifically in the Middle East in Muslim countries, a major source of gray water is washing, where implementing a gray water recycling system could save washing resources and minimize water stress in these countries.
Greywater Systems
- Background
- Centralized Systems
- Decentralized Systems
- Treatment Systems
Centralized greywater systems have various benefits including reliability, uniformity and security of water supply, leading to overall improvements. In general, the physical side of the system can substantially remove debris particles from the water, which leads to a significant reduction in pollutants.
Greywater System Costs
The costs presented in the Malta study are more in line with those of Abu Dhabi's ecosystem (Cremona & Saliba, 2013). This is only the cost of the system and not of installation, pipes (Grey Flow, 2020).
Risks of Greywater Reuse
The use of chemicals must also be controlled and monitored as greywater in irrigation can negatively change the hydro-chemical properties of the soil. Blanky (2017) developed a Greywater reuse risk assessment methodology that includes hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response modeling and finally the risk identification.
Previous Research on Perceptions
The purpose of the study was to assess students' understanding of greywater reuse and their perspectives on its use on campus. The study found that 70% of respondents had never heard of gray water before conducting the survey.
Greywater Use Globally
Various studies have also been published in the UK, specific to the reuse of gray water for toilet flushing, and test plants were set up to examine the feasibility of doing this. In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have developed specific guidelines and regulations for gray water reuse and system implementation.
Regulations in Abu Dhabi
- Regulations and Supervision Bureau
Applications of Greywater Reuse
- Premier Inn Abu Dhabi
- NH Campo di Gibraltar - Spain
- Hotel Verde – South Africa
The 100-room NH Campo de Gibraltar hotel in Algeciras, Spain is a 100-room hotel that opened in 2009 and has shown innovation by installing a gray water recycling system in line with EU standards. The recycled gray water is able to reduce the need for drinking water by 20% and uses the recycled gray water from showers and sinks for toilet flushing. Hotel Verde in Capetown is a unique example, as the only LEED platinum certified hotel in the world has installed an on-site gray water recycling plant that recycles water from baths, showers and condensate from ventilation fans for us in toilet flushing.
The literature review provided insight into greywater, greywater systems and explained the characteristics of greywater.
Chapter 2 Summary
Methodology
- Introduction
- Previous Methodologies in Research
- Surveys
- Experimental Research
- Literature Reviews
- Chosen Research Methodology
- Survey Design
- Population and Sampling
- Statistical Methods
- Data Collection Procedures
- Assumptions
- Chapter Summary
The results of the study showed a significant reduction in gray water characteristics and concluded that the plant could be used as an alternative to chemical cleaning. When conducting any research study, one of the main elements of the study is a literature review. The survey was designed with closed questions that allow standardization of responses (Fink, 2002).
Updates were made based on the pilot project and an introductory note was added to define the purpose of the study.
Results and Discussion
Introduction
Survey Results
- Introduction
- General Information
- Survey Main Question Responses
In terms of hotel types, 58.3% of hotels were buildings where 41.7% were resorts as in Figure 18. 27.8% of respondents did not know this information while the rest were divided between the other categories as in figure 22. In terms of environmental impact and as represented in figure 30, 88.9% of the respondents strongly agreed that their hotel is environmentally responsible while 8.3% agreed and 2.8% were neutral.
As shown in Figure 36, 83.3% of respondents believed that a public incentive program would have a positive impact on their decision to adopt greywater.
Analysis and Results
In this case, management perception, incremental cost, cost savings and risk were used. Based on the final set of variables, it was identified in preparation for regression analysis. The final set of variables identified in Table 12 was identified as sufficient for hypothesis testing.
To explain further, an R2 of 0.6 for example means that 60% of the variation can be explained by the regression model.
Hypothesis Testing
Assuming a significance level of p 0.05 and referring to Table 13, the obtained p level is 0.497, which is greater than the assumed significance level of the study. Assuming a significance level of p 0.05 and referring to Table 13, the obtained p level is 0.965, which is greater than the assumed significance level of the study. Assuming a significance level of p 0.05 and referring to Table 13, the resulting p level is 0.811, which is greater than the assumed significance level of the study.
Assuming a significance level p of 0.05 and referring to Table 13, the obtained p-level is 0.306 which is greater than the assumed significance level of the study.
Summary of Results
80 The data and results imply that for existing hotels, management perception, government support and risk are key factors in identifying whether hotels would be willing to adopt gray water practices in Abu Dhabi while for new hotels the data suggest that only customer perception and government incentives are the main factors for the adoption of gray water use in hotels in Abu Dhabi. However, the results show a consensus among hotel professionals that the environment is important to them personally and that their hotels should consider green initiatives on this basis. Further research can be conducted to further identify additional factors that may influence the decisions of hotel and hotel professionals in Abu Dhabi.
Discussion
The first question whether hotel managers in Abu Dhabi were willing to adopt the use of treated gray water in their hotels. The research and analysis show that hotel managers were willing to adopt gray water in their hotels considering customer perceptions, safety and risk. Finally, the third research question examined whether cost savings were an important factor in deciding whether to invest in greywater technologies in hotels in Abu Dhabi.
Interestingly, the research was also inconclusive regarding the impact on the environment and the use of greywater in both existing and new hotels.
Chapter Summary
The survey results showed that a combination of decreasing costs and increasing savings was of interest to hotel professionals. The survey data showed that a savings of 20% to 30% was the criterion preferred by most professionals in terms of savings. The hypotheses further tested the extent of the relationship between the identified independent and dependent variables and found clear relationships between perceptions of management, perceptions of customers, government incentives and risk as factors that directly influence greywater adoption.
Although the costs were reported in the survey data, the hypotheses tested through the regression analysis proved inconclusive regarding the additional costs and cost savings.
Conclusions
Introduction
Since the study was inconclusive regarding certain factors, the study provided sufficient information to answer the research questions. Hotel managers would be willing to adopt purified gray water technology in their hotels considering certain factors presented in the research. There was a perception that the cost of retrofitting an existing hotel would be higher than including the system in a new hotel, and this was also something that was constantly mentioned in the responses.
Greywater recycling is a versatile and robust technology which, based on research, has been shown to achieve this.
Recommendations
Since customers may not be familiar with greywater and its impact, safety and cleanliness, they may feel uncomfortable staying in hotels that use greywater, the study found. This already exists in the Estidama Pearl Rating system for sustainable building, but is only optional. The research presented in the study shows that greywater is relatively safe to use, depending on the system used.
Membrane systems as presented in the literature deliver the highest water purity and thus do not detract from the customer experience as this is the primary goal for hotel professionals.
Limitations
It is worth noting that the system currently installed at the Premier Inn in Abu Dhabi utilizes the membrane system and, as discussed earlier, equates to significant savings on their water bill and a reduction in their overall drinking water consumption. This means that they all came from different countries and upbringings, and as such their perceptions may differ due to cultural, environmental and experience in their own country.
Recommendations for Future Research
Available at: https://www.thenational.ae/uae/lawned-gardens-account-for-half-of-uae-s-water-consumption-per-capita-say-experts-1.1807. Available at: Available at: https://emiratesgbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/EmiratesGBC-Energy-and-Water-Benchmarking-for-UAE-Hotels-2016-Report.pdf [Accessed July 5 Available at: https://www.statistika.co/index.php/portfolio/303-exploratory-factor-analysis-kmo-and-bartlett-s-test. Available at: https://www.thenational.ae/uae/environment/going-grey-can-help-ease-uae-s-water-woes-1.388228 [Accessed 5 July.
