
With EXPO 2020 Dubai well underway, emphasis in the market has switched to more sustainable methodologies and ways to save resources. The world as a whole has only a finite amount, further strained by growing economies and population. As a result we must find ways to limit wastage and other such consumable materials for the betterment of the environment. This and given the COVID-19 issues that postponed the original start of EXPO 2020 has really made individuals and businesses look at ways of diversification and of going green.
Water here in the U.A.E. is used for a variety of applications - irrigation, TSE, drinking and pool water. Consumption is high in what is an arid region. As a result, it takes energy to produce the quantity needed for all applications to have optimum supply of water.
Coming to the hospitality sector, there are over 500 hotels across Dubai alone (As of Q2 2021), 70% of which have swimming pools open to their guests. With swimming pools comes maintenance in terms of filtration, water supply, usage, leakage, etc. From an operational standpoint the pool is one of the main attractions to visitors and is the most scrutinized point on whether a customer will check-in. Therefore the look and function of a pool is of paramount concern. Are the tiles up to grade? Is the grouting correct? Are the railing and slip sections safe for use? All must be accounted for prior to allowing customer usage.
With all these aspects of scrutiny open, hotel operators must be constantly checking these for potential issues. If and when an issue is found, maintenance needs to be immediately done in order to rectify it. Normally that translates to draining the pool and wasting vast amounts of fresh pool water. This type of water wastage can and should be addressed.
Sustainable solutions
This can start by being smart in what you are doing in terms of maintenance. RONS Enviro Care has thought about this with regards to underwater maintenance in the field of swimming pool maintenance as a precursor to water wastage. RONS is introducing the much awaited Underwater Maintenance Services that have many advantages in terms of sustainability and resource savings.
“Usually, swimming pool maintenance – particularly on the main pool basins – require the need to drain out water prior to maintenance teams coming in. Now, with the introduction of our diving team, we have the capability in conjunction with specialized chemicals, to repair and maintain swimming pools without the need to drain the body of water prior”, says Simon Clark, Operations Director states.
Regular pool maintenance is a wise investment because early detection can prevent minor issues from becoming major, costly issues. This is especially true when it comes to re-tiling and grouting issues, many of which have gone untreated and necessitated costly repairs.
High-use areas, such as the shallow end or around steps and finger grip tiles, may experience the most grout and tile loss. If the damage is not repaired, it might lead to a range of problems. Cutting exposed tile edges can be hazardous, and severe grout loss might lead to more serious problems. Grout protects not just the tile adhesive but also the screed beneath it from the corrosive nature of swimming pool chemicals. Water intrusion can cause tile debonding, and screed degradation can cause the tile's base to disappear, resulting in tile instability and cracking.
Grout failure is a regular occurrence with cement-based grouts. RONS Specialized Diving uses epoxy based materials because they seal better, are more durable, and are less likely to de-bond. The maintenance works are carried out by trained teams, with vast experience and the latest of underwater equipment. Assessments are made both from above and indeed under the water to ascertain what works need doing on particular projects. From here planning is made in conjunction with the pool management team who for the most part are happy they do not need to waste all the water in their pool. Furthermore, because of the nature of the application of maintenance, RONS can allow in such cases the pools only be cordoned off while works are ongoing – increasing the chances of hotel and pool management teams keeping their valuable assets in use with very little down time.
The service is applicable to the following activities:
- Underwater video & photography – conditional survey of pool basins
- Debris removal and cleaning
- Underwater tile replacement and grout replacement/refresh
- Anti-slip tile covering
- General basin maintenance – lighting, drain covering, fixtures, etc.
What makes these maintenance tasks unique to RONS’ application is that all the above is done while the water is still in the pool. The chemicals used in the maintenance works by the divers can still be applied underwater. Couple this to the waterproof tools that are used on these projects, many activities/repairs can be carried out.
Additionally, these services are transferable across bodies of water; water features/water fountains, artificial lakes, water park features and rides – basically bodies of man made water features, any maintenance and observation works can be performed by RONS’ underwater technicians.
As well as the stated, RONS offer a range of underwater services pertinent to pool maintenance; handrail installation, drain cover re-fixing and installation, all performed by RONS highly trained and skilled underwater team.
Step up and focus
“The commencement of EXPO 2020 and its focus on sustainability as one of its main themes really made all of us at RONS step up and focus on the same ideals in terms of our service to our clients,” Joseph John, Founder & Chairman of RONS Group explains. “I wanted to follow suit in a similar vein of EXPO 2020 in challenging sustainability solutions and offering them up to our valuable clients,” he continues. The service offers valuable and sustainable savings on water – a serious and potentially expensive commodity here in the U.A.E. region.
RONS diversified into this service activity to complement its already well-established specialized cleaning services. “We offer an assortment of specialized cleaning services to our portfolio of clients, we felt this new service fits rather well between them”, Joseph adds. RONS has added activities for clients whereby much of their needs can be handled by them as a one-stop-shop company.
One for All
The goal of RONS Enviro Care is to offer all necessary services to clients with a special focus on sustainability.
The current roster of services on offer by RONS Enviro Care are:
- Underwater Maintenance, Repair and Inspection
- Grease Trap Cleaning, Maintenance, Manufacture and Supply
- HVAC System Design, Installation, Modification, Maintenance and Cleaning
- Drainage and Sewerage Network Inspection, Maintenance and Rehabilitation
- Kitchen Exhaust Design, Installation, Modification and Cleaning
- Tanks Cleaning (Water, Sewer, Storm and Oil)
- Hard Facility Management Services
- Green Services
Continuing the theme of sustainability and greener, less carbon heavy services, RONS have other innovative solutions to many growing issues around both Dubai and its surrounding Emirates. One such service is its Pipe Rehabilitation, another is its HVAC Maintenance.
Pipe rehabilitation
Pipe Rehabilitation goes into repairing damaged buried pipelines that are buried under infrastructure – all without the need for open cut excavation. The service provides three stand-alone activities that make up the 'Pipe Rehabilitation' process; high pressure water jet cleaning of the pipe, CCTV inspection of the pipe and the rehabilitation aspect known as patch repairing. The whole process vastly reduces the need for large plant equipment and costly excavation and diversions. “The rehabilitation side of RONS allows clients to fix issues that would have otherwise taken weeks, in a mere matter of days”, Simon informs. Using techniques of pulling or pushing repairs into place the defects are repaired without residents/members of the public knowing. Repair is applicable to water ingress and root ingress. The service runs under the designation of Trenchless Technology, which aptly named needs no trenches to install, thus the diversion, overpumping (in cases) road closures and other such heavy impact of infrastructure is rendered redundant. “These processes vastly cut down the need to impact on day to day activities. The fact we can be on a site, do the work and be away in a matter of hours, really appeals to clients. Especially when digging is not required”, explains Simon.
HVAC Services
Another bolster to RONS’ set of green services is the HVAC arm; pertaining to Cleaning, Maintenance, Modification, Design and Installation. Given that in the summer months, up to 70% of the energy consumption in the U.A.E. is attributed to the HVAC system, it was only a matter of time until this set on the scope of RONS’. Managing Director, Joseph John says “Across the board of services, I wanted to see if there are ways of getting cost down for the consumer. That boosts the confidence in a client re-using our services if there is a noticeable change in direct costs for them”.
There are many ways to get costs down. Small steps can make a big difference. Cleaning or replacement of the filters to take the strain off the system; updating the units or redesigning it to be more efficient. RONS has trained technicians that can assess and execute on findings from inspection reports that in turn can yield a noticeable saving on consumption and costs – a directive that Joseph feels strongly about since the announcement of EXPO 2020 Dubai and its push for sustainable, energy saving solutions. “We are here to help on this”, states Joseph. RONS’ focus on these services hopes that in doing their part on sustainability, green thinking and resource management, it will have a knock on effect to clients across the U.A.E. Joseph goes on to note, “If we do our small part by offering such solutions or services to our clients, it will help raise awareness that companies and individuals are taking note. From there if that feeling and attitude spreads, we can bring a real change to the way we consume energy in a big way.”
RONS’ focus on these services hoping that in doing their part on sustainability, green thinking and resource management, it will have a ripple effect on clients across the U.A.E. Joseph goes on to note “If we do our small part by offering such solutions or services to our clients, it will help raise awareness that companies and individuals are taking note. From there if that feeling and attitude spreads, we can bring a real change to the way we consume energy in a big way”