With the summer season around the corner, Spain's Costa Brava is under pressure to find ways to conserve water. One hotel in Lloret de Mar has demonstrated that even small-scale solutions can be pursued to great effect.
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00:00 A chilly day on the Costa Brava in northern Spain, but some tourists are enjoying the
00:05 beach.
00:06 Just metres from the ocean, it's hard to believe there could be a problem with water.
00:10 But in this part of Spain, a lack of rainfall is leading to severe shortages.
00:17 This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Catalonia, but the sector here faces a
00:22 problem.
00:24 Drought in the region means there's too little water and the regional government is considering
00:28 imposing restrictions on tourists.
00:30 As businesses gear up for the summer season, the question is how can they conserve this
00:35 valuable resource?
00:38 The Samba Hotel in Llore de Mar holds one answer.
00:41 Here, grey water, water that comes from baths for example, is piped back into the hotel
00:47 for the toilets.
00:50 Just over 20 years ago, the hotel installed separate pipes and treats the grey water in
00:55 the basement.
00:58 It claims to have saved 15 million litres of water and made substantial financial savings
01:04 from water costs.
01:12 I think it's something that in hotels that are already finished, they have to take advantage
01:16 of a renovation situation.
01:19 But I think it should be mandatory in new hotels being constructed so there is the ability
01:23 to recycle water.
01:28 With the help of the nearby Catalan Institute of Water Research, the hotel is also piloting
01:34 a natural system using plants and soil to filter grey water.
01:39 Researchers estimate costs for such a solution could be recuperated in five to six years.
01:47 The system has been designed with ornamental plants because with lots of natural-based
01:52 solutions one of the many aspects is for it to be pretty, in this case for tourists.
01:58 And that's why it's next to the hotel bar.
02:05 As the tourism season kicks off, businesses are looking to the ocean to fill swimming
02:09 pools and provide drinking water.
02:12 And desalination plants like this one.
02:15 But it's costly and energy intensive.
02:18 So the region will need every solution big and small if it's to survive as the drought
02:23 goes on.
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