Casa Divina Lodge

Since the beginning of Casa Divina as a nature reserve and sustainable tourism destination, respectful water management has always been a priority. And beyond caring for and valuing it, we share our practices with our guests and seek to inspire all those who visit us to love and care for water.

At Casa Divina Eco Lodge, we are committed to the care of the ecosystems where water originates. Due to the location of our lodge, we do not have access to potable water that normally is provided by the municipality. Instead, we form part of a local water cooperative that was created a few years ago to pipe clean and abundant water to areas where there was no potable water available.

In the past, this initiative was a very efficient solution for the neighbors in the upper San Lorenzo mountains. Nowadays, anyone who wants to receive water from Bravo river in the same sector can join this community and sustainable project.

But for us it wasn’t always that way. For more than 10 years we collected our water from the natural springs or groundwater that run through the Casa Divina Reserve.

And what does a natural spring look like? It is a very beautiful thing to see — clear water that springs naturally from the earth, among the small stones and plants. You can find them in special areas inside the forest, where small trickles of water come out. Those beautiful places, also called “ojos de agua” (water eyes), are generally in the upper part of the forest. At Casa Divina we installed hoses there to capture the water and distribute it to our cabins, in the lower area.

How we manage water at Casa Divina

In order not to affect these water sources and the other sources that run through the forest, we treat the gray water and reuse it to irrigate our food gardens.

Additionally, we use only biodegradable cleaning and personal use products, and to avoid waste water — we have an efficient, water-saving washer.

As for the water that goes to our kitchen and drinking stations, it is first filtered through a complex system of 3 filters and finally UV filter. In this way we make sure that we only work with the cleanest water for drinking and food preparation.

The United Nations states in its special water initiative that groundwater is an important part of the solution to the global water scarcity problem.

“Exploring, protecting and sustainably using groundwater will be critical to surviving and adapting to climate change and meeting the needs of a growing population,” they state on the website.

We turn on the tap, out comes the water we use for drinking, cleaning, cooking and washing. But, have we ever asked ourselves, where does that water come from?

It seems like a simple question, but it is an important one. Knowing where our water comes from and how much it costs in terms of energy, human resources and operability, helps us to find options to support its responsible use.

In general, drinking water in large cities comes from natural sources such as rivers, waterfalls, lakes and estuaries. It is piped to treatment plants, which can range from small to very large, and then it is filtered, purified and distributed through pipes.

What if we plan an excursion to the source of the water consumed in the area where you live? 

Then we may find great surprises! Maybe a beautiful waterfall with great biodiversity around it, or perhaps a small reservoir, where we can learn about how water is becoming increasingly scarce due to climate change, drought or deforestation. We can also discover private or public initiatives to conserve those ecosystems, and if they have programs for people to get involved.

What if we visit the treatment plant that is closest to where we live and find out how it works and the challenges it faces?

We can learn firsthand how much money, energy and labor are involved in getting water into our homes every day. This will help us to understand why millions of people around the world lack the privilege of clean, safe water. (According to the United Nations, 1 in 3 people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water. You can see more about the global actions for the World Water Day at this link: https://www.worldwaterday.org)

Author: Lucila Donoso 

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