Wastewater in a nearby urban area is treated at a wastewater treatment plant in a contemporary fashion. However, instead of simply being discharged to the ocean or a stream leading to the ocean, the effluent from the treatment plant undergoes additional filtration to remove organic and inorganic solids and extensive disinfection. The effluent then is piped to a 33 million gallon reservoir and stored as reuse water until needed for irrigation at The Links. Water is then withdrawn from the reservoir by the golf course’s irrigation system for application to all the turf and landscaping on the course. A good system maintains the uniformity needed to see that every square foot of turf gets its share of water and nutrients.
Full Answer
Why recycled water for golf courses?
This recycled water provides moisture and nutrients to the golf course while helping the municipality avoid discharging the effluent water into nearby rivers. The turf does an excellent job of filtering the water of nutrients and breaking down various chemicals and biological contaminants in the water.
How does irrigation work on a golf course?
Golf course sites with poor or inconsistent soils are capped with a 6-inch layer of sand to allow uniform water infiltration and a significant reduction in water use by reducing runoff and avoiding over-application of irrigation water. Numerous books related to golf course irrigation are available for practitioners.
How do you deal with stormwater pollution in golf courses?
Storage ponds to collect storm runoff water that might otherwise be lost and wasted. Use of tertiary treated effluent from municipal sewage treatment facilities. This recycled water provides moisture and nutrients to the golf course while helping the municipality avoid discharging the effluent water into nearby rivers.
Why are golf courses capped with 6-inch sand?
Golf course sites with poor or inconsistent soils are capped with a 6-inch layer of sand to allow uniform water infiltration and a significant reduction in water use by reducing runoff and avoiding over-application of irrigation water.
How do golf courses recycle water?
Instead of delivering an alternate water source to percolation ponds to replenish the aquifer, an alternate water source (nonpotable water) is delivered to golf courses for irrigation, leaving groundwater in the ground.
Do golf courses reuse water?
Nationwide, approximately 13% of golf courses use recycled water for irrigation. More facilities would gladly convert to using recycled water, but the main limitation is the lack of a piping system to deliver the recycled water to golf courses, which can cost $1 million per mile or more to install.
How do golf courses save water?
Experts' Top Five Ways to Conserve Water on Your Golf CourseDo an Irrigation Audit. ... Revisit Your Course's Cultural and Maintenance Practices. ... Use Soil Moisture Sensors. ... Plant Drought Tolerant Turf and/or Consider Turf Conversion. ... Explore Alternative Water Sources.
Do golf courses save water?
In California, an average 18-hole golf course sprawls over 110 to 115 acres and conservatively uses almost 90 million gallons of water per year, enough to fill 136 Olympic-size swimming pools, said Mike Huck, a water management consultant who works with golf courses statewide.
Do golf courses use GREY water?
In fact, an increasing number of courses are using effluent water – often referred to as “gray water.” Government regulations and water availability have led to the increased use of gray water at golf facilities, says Brian Vinchesi, design engineer at Irrigation Consulting Inc., Pepperell, Mass.
Do California golf courses use reclaimed water?
Water-Thirsty Golf Courses Need to Go Green And we're using reclaimed water in a very specific, measured way." A lot of golf courses use recycled or reclaimed water, but Friedlander says Pelican Hill is different. "We're here at the practice facility at Pelican Hill golf club.
How much water does it take to maintain a golf course?
A typical 150-acre golf course uses approximately 200 million gallons of water a year, enough to supply 1,800 residences with 300 GPD of water.
How much water does it take to water a golf course?
(Inside Science) -- In California's current historic drought, there's one particularly easy target when it comes to pointing fingers: green golf courses. Courses around the U.S. suck up around approximately 2.08 billion gallons of water per day for irrigation.
What percentage of water do golf courses use?
That equates to approximately 2.08 billion gallons of water per day for golf course irrigation in the U.S. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's “Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000” report, approximately 408 billion gallons of water per day are withdrawn in the U.S. Golf course irrigation accounts ...
Why do golf courses use water?
Water use has a major influence on the playability of a golf course. Judicious water use that emphasizes firm, fast conditions is more enjoyable for all skill levels of golfers and is a goal that the USGA strongly supports.
How much water does a golf course in Palm Springs use?
about 1 million gallons a dayThe water district says that on average, each course uses about 1 million gallons a day.
How often should I water my golf greens?
It's better to water “deeply and infrequently,” Cutler says. About a third of an inch every two to three days is a good goal.
What is the best way to irrigate golf courses?
Large turf areas, including golf courses, are good locations for irrigating with recycled water. In addition to making good use of a degraded water source, turf serves a vital role in cleansing nutrients and contaminants from the recycled water as it moves through the soil and into the aquifer.
What is the USGA?
The USGA promotes and conserves the true spirit of the game of golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions. It acts in the best interests of the game for the continued enjoyment of those who love and play it. The USGA: Celebrating 125 Years. Design Philosophy From Female Golf Course Architects. GIVING.
How to store recycled water for golf course?
Primarily located in northern climates, stor- age facilities must be built to store the recycled water delivered to the golf course each day over a period of several months. If recycled water cannot be stored in existing lakes on the course, additional storage facilities may be required. Covered storage tanks or ponds with liners are options. Storage facilities for recy- cled water require a high level of maintenance. Generally, storage tanks require less maintenance than lakes because the absence of light eliminates algal growth, particularly if the stored water has only received secondary treatment. However, because the settling of suspended matter is a prob- lem in tanks, storage tanks must be periodically emptied and cleaned. The initial cost of constructing storage lakes with liners may be less than that of installing cov- ered tanks, yet the maintenance cost of the lakes is generally higher. Because storage lakes have elevated levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, algae and weed growth is a constant problem. Such growth can cause major problems when the water is introduced into an irrigation system. Substantial labor and maintenance are often needed to keep pond water clean and suit- able for irrigation. Therefore, the cost of main- taining a storage pond for recycled water could be substantially higher than maintenance costs for
Why do golf courses need to be irrigated with recycled water?
Depending on local regulations, golf courses irrigated with recycled water may be required to protect adjacent properties from runoff or over- spray from their irrigation. Compliance with such system to allow irrigation of the perimeter with a source other than recycled water.
Why use recycled water for golf course irrigation?
Interest in using recycled water for irrigation continues to increase as more and better-quality recycled water becomes available . In recent years, large quantities of recycled water have been used to irrigate agricultural crops, urban landscape sites and golf course properties. A number of positions favor the use of recycled water on golf courses. · Recycled municipal water is a reliable source, particularly during drought cycles, when com- pared with potable domestic, well, river and lake water sources. · The large expanses of turfgrass grown on golf courses can absorb relatively large amounts of nitrogen and other nutrients often found in recycled water. This characteristic of turfgrass can minimize the chances of groundwater con- tamination from recycled irrigation water. · Because recycled water is produced continu- ously, its use also needs to be continuous. Turf - grass on golf courses, particularly in southern climates, is considered a permanent planting, and irrigation needs are consistent year after year when compared to food crop production where irrigation use is interrupted by cultiva- tion and harvest activities. · Most golf courses are located in or adjacent to cities where recycled water is produced, thus minimizing transportation costs. · Recycled water is generally less expensive than water from other sources. · And finally, superintendents have access to advanced educational materials that allow them to manage most adverse agronomic conditions that may arise from irrigating with recycled water. Despite sound reasons for using recycled water as a primary irrigation source, golf course opera- tors and designers often view it with mixed feel- ings. There are legitimate concerns about possible plant injury, potential problems with irrigation sys- tems and variability in water quality even within the same region. However, recognizing potential problems and having a better understanding of the solutions available to address them will allow water providers and users to take a mutually ben- eficial approach to this valuable resource.
What is non turf in golf?
Non-turf areas at golf facilities include water features such as lakes, ponds or streams; natural areas; buildings; parking lots; and golf car paths. Course design today routinely incorporates natural areas or areas that are not maintained to preserve environmental integrity and to reduce maintenance costs. Turfgrass is the most important asset of a golf course, and the putting greens represent the area with the highest value. Generally, golf courses in the northern half of the U.S. use cool-season turfgrasses, while the southern half of the country uses predominantly warm-season turf species. A large portion of the central U.S. and most of the coastal areas are considered a transitional zone, where a combination of cool- and warm-season grasses may be grown. Warm-season grasses are generally more drought- and salt-tolerant than cool-season grasses, but there is a considerable variation in tolerance to salinity and to drought within both groups. Almost all golf courses in the U.S. supplement natural precipitation with irrigation. Sources of irrigation water are: potable water, wells, lakes, rivers, canals and recycled water.
How to manage irrigation in golf course?
Successful irrigation management at a golf course requires regular monitoring of both soil and water chemistry, especially salt content. It also requires knowledge of local soil conditions, primarily soil texture and drainage characteris- tics and the salinity tolerance of the plants being grown. The goal is to maintain soil salinity at lev- els that provide adequate growing conditions for the turf so that the turf provides marketable play- ing conditions. Salt accumulation in the soil is the most com- mon cause of plant injury from saline irrigation water, but ordinarily a long period of time must pass before salt in the soil actually injures the plants. Various combinations of saline irrigation water, insufficient natural precipitation, inade- quate irrigation and poor drainage will increase the likelihood of saline soil conditions. As a general rule, if the amount of water applied to soil, including irrigation and natural precipita- tion, exceeds evapotranspiration (which is evapo- ration of water from the soil surface and transpi- ration of water through plants), salt movement is downward through the soil profile. Conversely, salts move upward in soils if evapotranspiration exceeds the amount of water applied. In the latter case, salt drawn to the soil surface gradually accu- mulates to levels that are toxic to plants. The com- bination of this basic process along with the type of grass grown determines how severe the problem will become and ultimately affects the quality of the playing conditions. Recycled waters usually contain higher amounts of dissolved salts than other irrigation water sources within a specific geographic region. In some rare cases, however, ground or surface water can be higher in dissolved salts than local recycled water. Depending on local climate — including precipitation and temperature, soil type and type of grass grown — the amount and type of salts delivered to the golf course in recycled water may eventually injure the grass. Salt injury to plants is more likely to occur when a combination of the following conditions becomes prevalent: · low annual precipitation · high average temperature · heavy clay or slow-draining soils · cool-season rather than warm-season turf- grasses are grown on the golf course The severity of problems associated with salt- laden irrigation water can change significantly because of the diverse conditions at different golf courses. The examples below illustrate the vari- ability that can occur when irrigation water with an identical salt content is applied to a variety of golf course sites. Salinity problems are lesslikely to develop on golf courses: · with high rainfall and colder climates · planted with salt-tolerant, warm-season grasses · built on well-drained, sandy soils. Salinity problems are morelikely to develop on golf courses: · with low rainfall and warm climates · planted with salt-sensitive cool-season grasses · built on slow-draining, clay soils.
What is the Environmental Institute for Golf?
The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. 1 . Editor’s note: The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s (GCSAA) Water Task Group and Environmental Programs Committee commissioned Ali Harivandi, Ph.D., to write this article in order ...
Can golf courses use recycled water?
Using recycled water on golf courses. As more restrictions are placed on water use, it becomes increasingly important for superintendents to learn the ins and outs of irrigating with recycled water. Ali Harivandi, Ph.D. . The Environmental Institute for Golf provided funding for the writing of this article.
What is recycled mower?
Okay, let's start with the term 'recycled' - put simply, it is something that is secondhand, has been used before or is being reprocessed into something else. Your mower, for instance, has been recycled and was probably once a part of an old car or a metallic object, as were many of your computer components and household appliances.
What is composting?
Compost, what is it? Put simply, it is decaying organic matter which is going to be used as a soil/sand amendment or as an organic fertiliser. However, compost (or composting) is not the part I am talking about today - humus is.
How to compost grass clippings?
However, timing is everything! When you have chosen the concrete area where you will grow your compost (not near a water course or a fine turf area), begin by tipping your grass clippings into a pile and then mix either the woodchip, paper, cardboard or peelings (or all four) together; the reason for adding paper and cardboard into the mix is to allow air gaps to appear when they break down - without lots of oxygen, the pile will not generate enough heat to decompose to its maximum efficiency. The reason we add brown waste is that grass tends not to break down so easily and becomes congealed without a little help from the aforementioned brownies.
Can you use recycled sand in a compost pile?
If, however, you do not have a suitable concrete base, then a bed of recycled sand may work, depending on how much compost you wish to develop. The sand will catch a good amount of effluent before it reaches the underlying sub/top soil and can be returned to the pile when it is time to move it.