HONOLULU — The Honolulu Board of Water Supply applauded Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Waikiki for switching to water-efficient toilets. 

What You Need To Know

  • The new water-efficient toilets save an average of 5,000 gallons of water per day

  • The Ramada Plaza expects to save $17,000 in water and sewer expenses in the first year

  • The Honolulu Board of Water Supply gave the Ramada Plaza a $45 rebate for each toilet that was switched to a water-efficient toilet, resulting in more than $8,500 additional savings

  • BWS encourages hotel, commercial, and residential homes to use its limited-time offer for a $100 toilet rebate

The Ramada Plaza, a 198-room hotel owned by China Airlines, installed more than 200 toilets over a six-month period, according to a news release. 

The new toilets save an average of 5,000 gallons of water per day, and the hotel expects to save $17,000 in water and sewer expenses in the first year. 

BWS urged Oahu residents and businesses to conserve water following the Red Hill water contamination crisis that began in Nov. 2021. After the Navy’s water system was contaminated by fuel that leaked from Red Hill, BWS closed its Halawa and Aiea wells as a precautionary measure to ensure no fuel-tainted water was distributed. However, this has reduced the water available for the island. 

In June 2023, the Ramada Plaza responded to the BWS plea to conserve water by switching to water-efficient toilets.

The hotel facilities crew replaced older toilets that used up to 3.5 gallons of water per flush with WaterSense-labeled toilets that use 1.28 gallons of water per flush. 

“We hope this encourages other hotels and high water users to follow their inspiring example and realize savings at their properties,'' Ernie Lau, BWS’s chief engineer, said in the news release. 

Along with the $17,000 projected water and sewer savings, the BWS gave the Ramada Plaza a $45 rebate for each toilet that was switched to a water-efficient toilet, resulting in more than $8,500 additional savings. 

The new toilets cost about $120 each, totaling $23,000. With the rebate, BWS said the hotel will pay off its investment in about 10 months.  

BWS encourages hotel, commercial and residential homes to use its limited-time offer for a $100 toilet rebate. For more information, contact the Board of Water Supply at contactus@hbws.org or (808) 748-5368. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.