Orient Express Racing Team set to save water in partnership with the innovative Saur Group

Patrick Blethon, Executive Chairman of the Saur Group and Stephan Kandler, CEO Orient Express Racing Team © Alexander Champy-McLean

The Orient Express Racing Team has joined forces with the innovative world leading water provider Saur Group to help preserve water resources during the America's Cup in Barcelona.

Saur has officially become the French challenger team's Official Water Technology Supplier for the duration of the campaign with the aim of saving half of the water consumed at the French base.

The partnership will see the installation of a complete grey and black water management and recycling system which will enable the eco-responsible management of resources, fully in line with the America's Cup organisers commitment to being socially responsible.

Stephan Kandler, co-CEO Orient Express Racing Team, said: "We are delighted to be joining forces with the Saur Group, which is supporting us as an official supplier and expert in water technologies, because our core values are to give this sporting challenge a resolutely environmental dimension.

"Eventually, the Orient Express Racing Team will employ 115 people in Barcelona, where our base is located, and will receive nearly 500 guests a day during the America's Cup competition. Our partnership with the Saur group is a major one, as it will provide us with a complete mobile system for managing and recycling running water."

The Saur Group will be deploying two innovative solutions at the Orient Express Racing Team's base camp to help reduce its water footprint.

The first involves treating grey water (rain and showers) so that it can be reused. This grey water will be treated using cutting-edge technologies developed by the Saur Group which guarantees the production of quality water that meets strict standards. The treated water can then be reused for flushing, showers and boat washing, halving overall water use at the French base.

The second solution focuses on treating wastewater from bathrooms and kitchens. Saur will install a mobile Bioreactor Wastewater Treatment Unit (BWTU), which effectively treats the wastewater of 150 people per day while offering a cost-effective and circular solution. With a carbon filter and a UV lamp, the BWTU will guarantee in-depth treatment, enabling virtually all the wastewater to be treated and discharged back into the environment with a superior compatible quality.

"Under the banner #MissionWater, the Saur Group has set itself an ambitious goal: to be the champion of water transition by 2030," said Patrick Blethon, Executive Chairman of the Saur Group.

"That's why we're proud to be associated with the French Challenger to help it drastically reduce its water consumption thanks to the implementation of our technologies. It is the responsibility of everyone — organisers, competitors, sponsors — not to add further pressure on a resource that is already scarce in this region."

Committed to protecting global water resources Saur has some 9,200 local authority and industrial customers in numerous countries including Cyprus, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, together serving 20 million water consumers worldwide.