Headland Hotel, Newquay

Flood Prevention

Drought Mitigation

SDS enables practical rainwater recovery and reuse at a coastal hotel

Overview

The Headland Hotel and Spa is a five-star coastal hotel in Newquay, Cornwall, located within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) overlooking Fistral Beach. With strong environmental credentials and high seasonal water demand linked to its surfing and leisure facilities, the hotel sought innovative ways to reduce potable water consumption while maintaining operational resilience.

As part of a MOSL-funded innovation project, SDS was appointed to demonstrate best practice on how rainwater stored within an existing attenuation system could be recovered and reused, transforming flood infrastructure into a valuable on-site water resource.

What We Did

SDS designed and installed an Intellistorm® smart rainwater management system to recover water from the hotel’s pre-existing attenuation infrastructure. Rainwater captured from the roof is abstracted from the attenuation catchpit, pumped to a discreet 5,000-litre above-ground storage tank, filtered, and reused for non-potable applications.

Recovered rainwater now supplies toilet flushing within the hotel’s outdoor facilities and a wetsuit washing trough supporting the surfing school, replacing mains water for these high-demand uses. The system is fully monitored using SDS SYMBiotIC™, with sensors tracking water levels and meters recording reuse volumes, providing transparent performance data for sustainability reporting.

Results

The project demonstrates the untapped potential of existing attenuation systems as a sustainable water resource. By reusing rainwater that would otherwise soak away, the system reduces potable water demand and operational water costs while maintaining the primary flood protection function of the infrastructure.

The integration of smart monitoring enables clear, verifiable measurement of water savings, supporting the hotel’s environmental commitments and the wider objectives of the MOSL Market Improvement Fund. The Headland Hotel project highlights how intelligent, data-led water management can deliver practical sustainability benefits within the hospitality sector, even in environmentally sensitive locations.

SDS were proactive and knowledgeable throughout the project, from design through to installation and commissioning, and the integration of monitoring gives clear visibility of the water we are recovering and reusing. This has helped us reduce reliance on mains water for appropriate uses whilst strengthening our EarthCheck partnership, supporting our journey
towards achieving EarthCheck Silver certification in September 2025.

– Bethany Branigan, Sustainability Lead, The Headland Hotel