In August of this year,
The New York Times
ran a story with the
headline “A Quarter
of Humanity Faces
Looming Water Crises.”
Around the world,
seventeen countries
face “extremely
high water stress.”
As climate change
makes seasonal weather
patterns more erratic,
groundwater levels are
fluctuating more and
more, including in the
SPA HAS ALWAYS—AND
LIKELY ALWAYS WILL—USE
LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER.
according to legend, spa is acronym of
sanitas per aquam, Latin for “health
through water.” While this is likely a
myth, the concept of spa grew out of
traditions stretching back millennia
involving the curative power of water.
even in today’s spas, where massage
takes center stage, water—whether a
full aqua-therapy suite or a simple
steam room—is still a prominent
aspect of the spa-going experience.
Yet spas owe it to themselves, their
customers and the earth to investigate
every possible avenue for environ-
mental sustainability, including
reducing water use. although it may
seem difficult, simple steps to reduce
water use are within reach for all spas,
from day spas to destination spas.
Use Your Space Creatively
With ever-more frequent wildfires and
extended periods of drought, california
is perhaps the epicenter of water
scarcity in the United States. Spas
located in the state have a heightened
awareness of water as a precious
resource, striving to conserve it any
way that they can. osmosis Day Spa
Sanctuary, situated near the Pacific
coast in Sonoma county, has taken a
comprehensive approach to conserving
water, especially for a day spa—albeit
one that’s located on five acres of
creek-side land.
“We’re part of a very small
community, so we’re constantly
reminded of our impact on its total
water availability,” says thor holm,
general manager of osmosis Day Spa
Sanctuary. as a result, osmosis has
long made water conservation part of
its broader commitment to sustain-
ability.
the most impressive aspect of
osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary’s
commitment to water conservation
was the creation of its constructed
wetlands and greywater system.
taking advantage of the available
land, the wetlands naturally filter
greywater—in essence, ‘gently used’
yet non-potable water—from the spa’s
United States. Many
of the areas that are
hotbeds for spas—
California, the American
Southwest, Florida,
Greece, Thailand,
Spain—are experiencing
medium, high or
extremely high levels
of water stress.
Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary's wetlands were the first of their kind in the area.
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