One of the reasons that William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) consistently ranks high in customer service reports and polls is its proactive commitment to caring for the needs of customers and staff.

A recent affirmation of that outstanding care and service was the completion of two water disposal stations at HOU. Through these stations, the airport now provides immediate means for passengers to dispose of forgotten liquids above three ounces, in line with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations.

Additional benefits of the stations are a decrease in stress and potential injuries to custodial staff, and a strong encouragement for material reuse. HOU also now has 16 water filling stations available to customers, so if customers keep their bottles or containers, they can refill them with filtered water once they are in the secured side of the terminal.

“The genesis of this project,” said Sam Rea, Manager of Custodial Services at HOU, “is that the trash cans at our checkpoints were often really heavy. They were so full of discarded drinks and water bottles that they were causing trouble for our front-line workers, who had to dispose of them.

“Emptying a normal-size trash can was often difficult to manage,” he said.

Rea said that the project was started at the request of janitorial staff to lighten the load on those trash cans, and the ever-present desire to provide a 5-star customer service experience.

Since restrictions on liquids were implemented for air travel in the United States, many people throw away their water and water bottles at security checkpoints. Many passengers simply forget about the liquids rules until they are reminded.

At HOU, when thousands of people pass through security every day and hundreds forget about water or liquids in their carry-on baggage, the quantity of liquids can quickly add up. The creation of the water disposal stations addresses the issue head-on.

The two stations are strategically placed at HOU for maximum access and use. One is placed right at the entrance to the checkpoint when passengers initially enter the queue and a secondary one is placed right after the ID checking station so that passengers have two opportunities to divest of their liquids before they get to the screening process.

Rea lauded several individuals for playing key roles in completing the project. Fernando Moreno, Oscar Hernandez, and Lionel Davis all were “leading men” in various aspects of the month-long project, whether it was construction of the wooden boxes, lock installation, frame alteration, or other aspects of aesthetically pleasing design, construction, and implementation. Instead of trash cans being hand-carried as before, the receptacles are easily transported, emptied about once an hour, and the captured liquids are drained nearby.

Winnie Perry, HOU Scheduled Maintenance, said the benefits have been numerous, including the companion use of the water filling stations at Hobby, which allow customers to drain and save their water bottles to refill on the other side of the security checkpoint since travel regulations prohibit liquids from passing through security. “We have conveniently located water filling stations – with filtered water,” Perry said.

“It has been a really good combination,” Rea said. “We completed the water bottle filling stations project on the public and sterile sides right around the end of the year. Now with the water disposal stations, it really helps with the flow. Those who choose can still have their reusable water bottle at the screening checkpoint.”

The HOU team coordinated the placement of the water disposal stations with the TSA to ensure they were on board and that there would be no bottlenecking in the queues.

Many businesses regard customer service only as an opportunity to solve problems after they crop up. HOU seeks to be proactive in addressing its customer and staff needs.