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Looking at the hospitality industry across the U.S., properties are constantly working on ways to improve their water management processes. In many cases, an important part of this puzzle is optimizing water conservation efforts to save money and resources, make progress on sustainability goals and more.

With this in mind, we saw properties make positive strides in 2024 towards embracing and implementing water-saving techniques—especially those that leverage technologies like predictive analytics, smart sensors and AI. Overall, this trend will certainly impact how industry players enter 2025.

Let’s dive in.

Common Challenges and Barriers

There have been a few consistent challenges over the years that properties face when it comes to implementing proper water management strategies and, more specifically, optimizing water conservation. First, many properties across the country have aging infrastructures and struggle with outdated plumbing systems. This can make identifying and repairing damage and issues like water leaks costly and time-consuming.

Additionally, the hospitality industry never stops. For property owners and managers, there are always competing priorities and budget items and, unfortunately, water conservation can become an afterthought. Balancing water management goals with other operational and financial demands—especially urgent ones, like ensuring proper staffing—can be difficult. In a similar vein, some property owners and managers are concerned that integrating new water management systems into their existing infrastructures could disrupt operations, leading to more headaches rather than streamlined procedures.

Finally, on a broader level, properties often lack a proper combination of resources: an integrated system that monitors water usage and in-house experts who are trained to interpret water usage data and implement appropriate conservation measures. Having one without the other is not ideal.

While these challenges and barriers are valid, taking the time to learn about and ultimately invest in the right comprehensive water management solution is worth it.

Today, there are multiple technological solutions that make this easier and more accessible than ever.

Technological Advancements

It’s no secret that predictive analytics and AI tools have recently become much more accurate—and they will only continue to improve with time.

When it comes to water management, these tools enable property owners and managers to anticipate water usage patterns so that they can adjust their operations accordingly. This helps prevent unnecessary water waste and reduce costs.

Similarly, smart meters and sensors, which provide granular, real-time insights into water usage, have become more common in helping property owners and managers identify leaks and inefficiencies instantly.

At the same time, automation has streamlined data collection and reporting across the hospitality industry, reducing the administrative burden for staff while also providing valuable, actionable insights for decision-makers.

Finally, properties are increasingly investing in IoT-enabled devices to connect water systems with HVAC and energy monitoring systems, allowing for more holistic and comprehensive resource management.

Effective Water Conservation Strategies

Properties that have implemented one or more of these technologies have homed in on a few strategies to maximize their return on investment.

The first step is education and knowledge—ensuring employees are properly trained in how to use the technology is essential. To extend this further, properties can even incorporate signage and messaging informing guests about their commitment to water conservation and potentially asking them to be more mindful of their own water usage.

Second, for properties investing in real-time monitoring capabilities, being proactive is crucial. Smart sensors have allowed property owners and managers to detect and repair water leaks quicker than ever, helping to minimize water loss if the proper steps are taken. Installing submeters in high-usage areas like kitchens, laundry rooms and pools can also provide properties with valuable insights into specific conservation opportunities.

As an example, one particular VivoAquatics customer integrated our real-time data platform to have any anomalies flagged in real time, leading to reduced response times from staff and a 20 percent decrease in water waste.

Anticipated Trends Driving Water Conservation Efforts in 2025

Looking ahead to the new year, there will undoubtedly be a continued focus on environmental impact across the hospitality industry. Most—if not all—properties will increasingly prioritize water conservation as part of their broader sustainability commitments, driven by demand from stakeholders like investors and customers.

Smart technologies will continue to be adopted and leveraged across properties. Advanced analytics and AI will push the industry toward greater precision in water use management, while decisions from property owners and managers will be more data driven.

In addition to the continued rise of analytics and AI, other trends I expect to see include:

• Smart irrigation systems that leverage weather-based adjustments will optimize outdoor water use.
• Nanotechnology filters for water purification will make water recycling more efficient and accessible for all.
• Even more advanced leak detection tools will minimize water waste by identifying potential issues before they occur.
• Secure, tamper-proof records of water usage and conservation metrics will streamline ESG reporting and regulatory compliance for properties.

We’re also seeing growing water scarcity in regions nationwide, causing properties to shift their focus to drought-resistant landscaping and greywater recycling systems, which collect and treat wastewater from showers, sinks and more for reuse.

To achieve a more holistic approach to sustainability, I expect properties to increasingly implement comprehensive systems that manage water, energy and waste together.

Potential Challenges in 2025

With new technological advancements and improvements come potential challenges as we work out the kinks. Diverging water policies and regulations across regions may make compliance more difficult for national and even global properties, while training staff to use these advanced technologies and systems effectively can be an obstacle.

As was the case this year, some properties may continue to struggle to secure buy-in and funding for new water management technologies despite the clear return on investment. At the same time, rising costs for water in regions with high scarcity could pressure budgets even further.

As always, the hospitality industry will work through these challenges over time to identify the best solutions.

Adjusting Water Conservation Goals, Metrics and KPIs

Having the correct goals and KPIs in place is the key to effectively monitoring and improving water usage. With this, I anticipate properties shifting from static annual reduction goals to dynamic, data-driven targets tailored to operational conditions. ESG frameworks will encourage broader collaboration between properties, resulting in shared goals within industry sectors. Long-term strategies will focus on resiliency, such as investing in on-site water treatment or storage solutions to combat shortages.

Potential KPIs and metrics properties could consider incorporating include:

• Water intensity per square foot, which will likely become a standard to compare water efficiency across properties.
• Leak detection response time.
• Recycled water percentage to track how much water is reused on site.
• Total cost of water management tools, combining operational costs and waste-related penalties to help properties assess return on investment.

An Optimistic Outlook

With an influx of tools available to us and more property owners and managers becoming aware of their benefits, the future of water conservation is positive.

The hospitality industry will likely continue to move toward closed-loop systems where waste and stormwater are captured, treated and reused. Properties will increasingly adopt localized water treatment and recycling systems to reduce dependence on municipal supplies. Large-scale properties will partner with governments and NGOs to address systemic water scarcity challenges.

Future properties may even get to the point of relying on autonomous systems to manage all aspects of water usage, driven by further advancements in technology and greater accessibility to these valuable tools.

I look forward to seeing continued progress in the new year.

About the Author

As the Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development at VivoAquatics, Richard Lindhorn focuses on customer acquisition and retention, working closely with cross-functional teams to create compelling marketing campaigns, cultivate strategic partnerships, drive demand generation activities and deliver measurable results.

VivoAquatics provides a smart and connected technology platform for operators to manage water features including pools, spas and more, as well as the overall conservation of a facility. An innovative suite of commercial aquatic solutions, VivoAquatics equips customers with the tools needed to improve water safety, conservation and compliance. It provides chemical automation, water safety monitoring, leak detection, water and energy usage monitoring, compliance management and more to deliver the safest and most appealing water for guests in a sustainable and cost-effective way.