Camps Bay Retreat: Thriving on its own water supply

The beautiful Camps Bay Retreat recently became an even more magical place. The boutique hotel-come-nature reserve has long been revered for its beautiful grounds and lush green lawns, all set on 4 acres of unsurpassed natural beauty – and now this stunning property is thriving on its own water supply.

Camps Bay Retreat is now fully independent from municipal water supply, thanks to a water feed that comes directly off Table Mountain and the adjacent Glen Forest.

Since August 2018, the Retreat can proudly supply their own, natural water to guests and residents of the hotel, and keep the beautiful gardens and lawns in tip top shape without putting extra pressure on the municipal water supply.

As we’re sure you know, Cape Town has been in the midst of a devastating drought for the past year. While things are looking up – with dam levels thankfully reaching 70% as of late – Capetonians are still encouraged to save as much water as they can to prevent another disaster from ravaging the city and surrounds.

Thus, the news that Camps Bay Retreat is now wholly sustained by its own water supply is music to everyone’s ears!

In order to move Camps Bay Retreat over to its own water supply and away from municipal water supply, a lot of research and work had to be done.

First, the flow rate of the natural stream of water had to be tested, as well as the quality of the water to see if it would be a viable option for the Retreat.

Then, the team at Camps Bay Retreat had to look at the water consumption of all the properties to see if it could be possible to reduce the overall consumption. They had to then plan around what their average consumption rate is to see if the natural stream will offer them an adequate supply of water.

Once these tests had been done and data collected, water specialists were brought in and used the data supplied by the team at the Retreat to design a water plant that would work for their specific needs.

A water pump specialist was then brought in to design a pump that would then be able to pump water to the various properties.

Naturally, this had to be designed in a way that the water supply would still meet the demand without having fluctuations in water pressure.

Luckily for everyone, the water plant and water pump turned out to work perfectly, and the Retreat is now supplied with all natural stream water without any issues in water pressure or supply.

Of course, there is a bevy of benefits to Camps Bay Retreat having its own water supply. First and foremost, they are helping to combat Cape Town’s water crisis by not putting strain on the already compromised municipal water supply.

During the harshest months of the drought, Camps Bay Retreat was able to help neighbours and other VNL properties lessen the burden on municipal water by supplying them with water from the natural stream.

Secondly, they are making use of clean, fresh water that would’ve otherwise just ended up in the ocean. If Camps Bay Retreat were to not make use of the natural stream of water flowing through the property, the water would essentially be lost – and we’re not talking about a few hundred liters, either!

Without a system in place for using the natural water, the Retreat would lose up to 4000 liters of freshwater per hour.

However, just because the Retreat is now independent of municipal water supply does not mean that they’re not conserving water.

Camps Bay Retreat and all its subsequent properties still adhere to the water restrictions put in place by the City of Cape Town. They still educate guests about the provincial water supply shortage, and have water restrictions on all taps.

In addition, the staff bathrooms have waterless urinals and water leaks are closely monitored. The pools on the property are mainly filled with rain water, after which it is substituted with the natural water.

What a wonderful way to add to the special kind of magic that is Camps Bay Retreat.