Freshwater

Fresh water, is one of the most critical natural resources. The tourism industry generally overuses water resources for hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and personal use of water by tourists. This can result in water shortages and degradation of water supplies, as well as generating a greater volume of wastewater. In dryer regions like the Mediterranean, the issue of water scarcity is of particular concern.
For example, an average Spanish city dweller uses approximately 250 litres of water per day, while the average tourist uses 440 litres. This number increases to 880 litres if the tourist uses accommodations with swimming pools and golf courses. Because of the hot climate and the tendency of tourists to consume more water when on holiday than they do at home, the amount used can run up to 440 litres a day. This is almost double what the inhabitant of an average Spanish city uses.

Adequate supply of potable water for the tourism industry is a major problem in most Caribbean islands, which despite the relatively high rainfall they receive regularly experience freshwater shortages. Estimates indicate that water consumption, on a per capita basis, can be up to ten times as much for guests as for the local community, once swimming pools and golf courses are thrown in. Moreover, the tourist high season and peak water demand usually coincide with the dry season when precipitation is lowest. As a consequence total water consumption is close to or exceeds maximum sustainable yield, which results in the inability of aquifers to recharge themselves, leading in turn to possible salt intrusion, the danger of polluted water infiltration, and associated health risks. The problem is further exacerbated by the amount of wastewater that must be disposed of. Thus any action that can be taken by the hotel to reduce water usage (low flush toilets, low flow showerheads, etc.) is an obvious benefit ? not just in operation costs but to the environment.

Most coastal areas and many island states in the Wider Caribbean are forced to situate solid waste disposal sites in areas of highly porous soils which are hard to seal, leading to groundwater contamination. This includes the introduction of toxic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and nutrients to groundwater by both direct injection and percolation from surface waters and irrigation systems. Groundwater depletion and contamination affect both the availability of groundwater for other human uses and the natural systems that use the water in freshwater springs on land and in the sea.