Verified Savings: Spier Estate Saves 60% Water by Eliminating 2000 l/hr Hotel Leak
The prestigious Spier Estate collaborated with Augos on an extensive water measurement project in Stellenbosch. By installing water sub-meters, Augos pinpointed an excessive 2000 l/hr out-of-hours water consumption originating primarily from the hotel. A targeted leak detection and repair exercise successfully eliminated this baseload wastage, leading to a verifiable 60% reduction in daily water consumption (from 100 kL/day to 40 kL/day).
The Challenge: Excessive Out-of-Hours Consumption
Spier Estate initiated a program with Augos to gain control over overall water consumption and secure accurate consumption data for internal tenant billing and financial reconciliation. The first step involved installing eight Augos water meters, including one on the main water incomer to the entire estate.
Once the meters were operational, the data revealed an immediate and significant issue: excessive out-of-hours (baseload) water consumption of approximately 2000 liters per hour (l/hr) on the main incomer, despite the property being at rest. This signaled a major, unmanaged leak.
The Augos Solution: Data-Driven Leak Detection
As part of our Water Efficiency & Loss Prevention service, the data from the various water sub-meters installed across the property was cross-referenced with the main incomer data.
The sub-meter analysis quickly established that the vast majority of the baseload water consumption was concentrated at the estate hotel. Based on this data, an extensive water leak detection and repair exercise was undertaken specifically at the hotel, then extended across the estate's general infrastructure.
The ability to use sub-metering to isolate the waste source was critical; without this granular data, the leak would have remained hidden, or the repair effort would have been costly and untargeted across the entire property.
The Result: 60% Reduction in Daily Water Consumption
The swift, data-driven intervention delivered profound and immediate savings, validating the importance of accurate measurement. Baseload water consumption at the estate was reduced from 2000 l/hr down to zero.
Total daily water consumption fell from 100 kilolitres per day (kL/day) to just 40 kL/day—a saving in water consumption of 60%, achieved solely through leak detection and repair.
Western Cape Context: Water Conservation Mandate
In the Western Cape, water conservation is a critical operational mandate. The rapid identification and elimination of this 2000 l/hr baseload wastage demonstrates verifiable Operational Efficiency against the City of Cape Town's water management standards. The successful reduction from 100 kL/day to 40 kL/day secures Spier Estate's water supply and provides irrefutable evidence of environmental stewardship, appealing to eco-conscious wine tourism.
Key Takeaways
Sub-metering enables precise identification of water wastage sources without costly guesswork
Out-of-hours baseload monitoring reveals hidden leaks that would otherwise go undetected
Data-driven leak detection delivers immediate, verifiable savings and ensures environmental compliance
Accurate consumption data enables fair tenant billing and financial reconciliation