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Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI)

Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI) is a methodology and tool for hotels to calculate the water use in their properties.
Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI) is a methodology and tool for hotels to calculate the water use in their properties.

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About HWMI

HWMI enables a hotel property to calculate the amount of water used:

  • per occupied room per day
  • per area of meeting space per hour

HWMI is free for all hotels. Using the tool will help hotels to:

  • understand their water consumption
  • benchmark their performance
  • set measurable targets
  • complete corporate reports
  • report to corporate clients (RFPs)
  • assist customers in their booking decisions

The tool was developed by the hospitality industry to create a consistent methodology for all hotels to measure and communicate their water consumption. HWMI is currently being used by over 18,000 hotels globally. Our ambition is that, through widespread use of HWMI, we will improve understanding, transparency and accuracy across the industry.

HWMI data can be used by hotels participating in the Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmark Index (CHSB) – the hotel industry’s largest annual benchmarking of energy, water, and carbon.

HWMI has also been translated into Georgian and Azerbaijani by the The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

What’s included in the calculation?

The methodology includes all activities within the hotel premises which comprises of both direct building uses and ancillary activities (including restaurants, laundry, meeting spaces, concession shops, casinos, golf courses, spas, garden space, fitness centres, and back of house). It also includes, if applicable, outsourced operations (e.g. laundry).

Who is it for?

HWMI is designed to be used for free by any hotel anywhere in the world even those with no previous experience in water reporting. It applies to individual hotels, large and small, regardless of the type of amenities offered.

How was it created?

HWMI was developed by the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (as International Tourism Partnership, ITP) in partnership with KPMG and 18 global hotel companies.

HWMI has been designed specifically for use by the hotel industry and is tailored to reflect hotel operations. It uses metrics that are considered useful for the industry and are consistent across all types of hotels.

View our introductory webinar on how to use HWMI

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Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI) consists of an introduction to the methodology, a calculation tool, and a worked example to provide guidance.

Other useful methodologies and tools for hotels

Interruptions to operations and the impact on environmental data

While HCMI and HWMI guidance documents provide specific details on time periods to be used in calculations and this should be followed wherever reasonable, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance recognises that the use of most recent data can have limitations. If abnormal circumstances (pandemics, large-scale refurbishments etc.) alter the energy consumption or occupancy by +/- 20% compared to a standard reporting period then hotels must use the most recent period of data that reflects close to normal operations. Hotel companies should ensure transparency in the assumptions or decisions related to time period used, and discuss implications with stakeholders where relevant.

Hotel Water Measurement Initiative for Georgia

Read more about our partnership with the UNDP-GEF Kura II Project on water conservation in the Kura River Basin of Azerbaijan and Georgia.

 

Hotel Water Measurement Initiative for Azerbaijan

Read more about our partnership with the UNDP-GEF Kura II Project on water conservation in the Kura River Basin of Azerbaijan and Georgia.