Arizona golf courses turn to water reuse Two Phoenix golf courses, Lookout Mountain Golf Club and Moon Valley Country Club, have partnered with the city of Phoenix to build a pipeline pulling recycled wastewater from the Arizona Canal to their respective courses.
Should Arizona golf courses use reclaimed water?
Ed Gowan, the Arizona Golf Association executive director, believes every golf course would use reclaimed water if the infrastructure was available. "That's probably the biggest issue facing golf course water use over the next 10 or 20 years," Gowan said.
Do Phoenix golf courses use up a lot of water?
Government statistics show that golf courses in and around Phoenix consume more water than any other place in the country. Maricopa County golf courses averaged more than 80 million gallons daily for irrigation, according to a 2010 U.S. Geological Survey report.
Why are Arizona golf course managers fighting a plan to save water?
Managers of some Arizona golf courses are fighting a plan that would cut water use at a time when the state is being forced to confront shrinking water supplies.
What does the reduction in water allotments mean for Phoenix golf courses?
The reductions in allotments apply to all courses that use groundwater, some of which also use water from other sources. The analysis by the Department of Water Resources showed its proposal would mean an overall decrease of 1.3% in the aggregate water allotments of all golf courses in the Phoenix area.
Do Arizona golf courses use reclaimed water?
PHOENIX – In parts of northern Arizona, golf courses over the past decade have stopped using drinking water to keep their greens vibrant. Instead, they use effluent or recycled water. However, in Phoenix, less than a quarter of the water used on golf courses is reclaimed wastewater.
What percentage of golf courses use recycled water?
As previously noted, 12 percent of 18-hole courses use recycled water for irrigation. The most common reason cited for not using it was a lack of an available source for recycled water as indicated by 53 percent of respondents.
Do golf courses use wastewater?
Most wastewater solutions for golf courses run on a closed-loop system. A closed-loop system can be built above or in-ground, with the main principle being that the wastewater is collected in a drain, pushed through to a solids management system, treated, and ready to be used again for washing.
Do golf courses use potable water?
Golf courses use a variety of water sources for turfgrass irrigation including groundwater, surface water (lakes, rivers and reservoirs), recycled water, and municipal potable water supplies.
Do most golf courses use recycled 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 much water do golf courses use in Arizona?
119,478 acre-feetThe records show 219 golf courses across Arizona used a total of 119,478 acre-feet of water in 2019. The average amount of water used per course was 504 acre-feet during the year, or about 450,000 gallons a day.
What kind of water do golf courses use?
The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), which serves 105 of the golf courses, draws from the California Water Project, the Colorado River and the aquifer. Kessler, who heads up the Coachella Valley Golf and Water Task Force, said much of the water used to irrigate golf courses is non-potable.
How do golf courses recycle water?
Any rain that falls on the buildings, pavement and cart paths goes into one of the course reservoirs — which form the major water features on the course. And underground, there are giant cisterns that hold millions of gallons of runoff water from the course.
How do golf courses use 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.
Where does Rancho Mirage get its water?
Imported Sources of Water Water for agricultural irrigation primarily comes from the Colorado River. It is delivered to local farms via the 123-mile Coachella Canal.
How much water do American golf courses use?
Audubon International estimates that the average American course uses 312,000 gallons per day. In a place like Palm Springs, where 57 golf courses challenge the desert, each course eats up a million gallons a day.
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 does golf bring in annually in Arizona?
Golf courses, which bring in $3.4 billion annually in Arizona, first came up with conservation strategies under the 1980 Groundwater Management Act.
What is irrigation water for golf courses?
Irrigation water for golf courses includes surface water, groundwater and reclaimed water, State Department of Water Resources officials said. Ed Gowan, the Arizona Golf Association executive director, believes every golf course would use reclaimed water if the infrastructure was available.
Is reclaimed water used in Arizona?
Department of Water Resources spokeswoman Michelle Moreno said reclaimed water use is just a fraction of Arizona's total water use. Investing in infrastructure such as pipes to deliver reclaimed water is often hampered by money and location.
Does reclaimed water help golf courses?
But it costs money, which is being spent on other infrastructure. Many parts of the country simply don't have enough water right now.
What golf courses in Arizona are water reused?
Arizona golf courses turn to water reuse. Two Phoenix golf courses, Lookout Mountain Golf Club and Moon Valley Country Club, have partnered with the city of Phoenix to build a pipeline pulling recycled wastewater from the Arizona Canal to their respective courses.
What would happen if golf courses switched to treated water?
If more private courses switch their source from drinking water to treated wastewater, more groundwater could be protected. “The effluent use has increased over the years as more golf courses have the infrastructure available to them for effluent or reclaimed use,” Tannler said.
When will the Arizona golf pipeline be completed?
The pipeline is expected to be completed by the end of 2018 and long-term will reduce the privately-owned courses’ water costs by approximately 40%, compared to groundwater which currently maintains their greens. According to a 2016 report by the Arizona Department of Water Resources, nearly three-quarters of water used by all Arizona golf courses ...
How many golf courses are there in Arizona?
Still, the Arizona Department of Water Resources only receives reported figures from those 240 golf courses within the five active management areas. The rest of Arizona imposes no measuring and reporting requirements.
Where does Scott Cohen practice golf?
Scott Cohen practices at the Pointe Tapatio Lookout Mountain Golf Club, one of two private courses that have partnered with Phoenix to wean themselves off potable water for irrigation. (Photo by Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News)
How many acres of turf is needed for a golf course?
By state law, Hilgart said, golf courses are limited to about 90 acres of turf if they rely on groundwater, but “During peak hot weather months, (a course) could be using a million gallons a day.”.
Is Moon Valley Country Club drinking water?
For example, Moon Valley Country Club and Pointe Tapatio Lookout Mountain Golf Club have been using drinking water since their respective openings: Moon Valley in the early 1960s and Lookout Mountain in 1989. But a few years ago, Moon Valley found itself on the verge of bankruptcy because of the cost of watering its golf courses.
Does Arizona have groundwater?
Although golf courses in the state’s five active management areas get water from a variety of sources, Arizona as a whole still relies heavily on groundwater needed for drinking and other uses by residents, state officials said. Arizona Water Distribution by AMA - Infogram. “Groundwater is about 48 percent,” said Jeff Tannler, ...
Is Arizona in a drought?
In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency placed 70 percent of Arizona under moderate to severe drought conditions, and the state is in its 21st year of long-term drought, according to the Arizona State Climate Office. Yet nearly three-quarters of the water used for all Arizona golf courses is pumped from the same sources as drinking water, ...
Do golf courses in Arizona use water?
PHOENIX – In parts of northern Arizona, golf courses over the past decade have stopped using drinking water to keep their greens vibrant. Instead, they use effluent or recycled water. However, in Phoenix, less than a quarter of the water used on golf courses is reclaimed wastewater. According to a 2014 University of Arizona study, ...
Where does Phoenix get its water?
From where does the city of Phoenix get its water? The city of Phoenix 's water supply comes primarily from the Salt River Project (SRP) which brings water by canal and pipeline from the Salt and Verde Rivers , and the Central Arizona Project (CAP) which transports Colorado River water.
How does golf affect the economy in Phoenix?
Golf courses are an asset that contributes heavily to the draw for tourism in the Valley, which, in turn, creates jobs and helps keep the economy healthy. In total, golf course water use constitutes less than three percent of total water delivered by the city of Phoenix .
What is reclaimed water used for?
Reclaimed water is used for parks, enhancement of riparian areas, and recharging groundwater aquifers as well as the cooling towers at the Palo Verde power plant. During years when adequate water supplies are available, the city also has been banking water. This is done by storing excess water in underground aquifers.
What are the restrictions on watering in Florida?
Restrictions might include watering on certain days, banning the use of outdoor water features, and stringent enforcement of water wasting laws. More severe restrictions may include using child safe pool covers to reduce evaporation, banning turf irrigation (letting lawns go brown), and banning car washing.
When did Phoenix adopt drought management?
Phoenix was the first Valley city to adopt a Drought Management Plan (in 1990 ) and continues to enhance and update it as necessary. We also maintain a Water Resources Plan that is updated every five years and Water infrastructure Master Plans that are updated annually.
How to prepare for water restrictions?
However, there are things you can do now to prepare for water use restrictions and lessen the impact. Zone your irrigation so you can turn water off to your turf and flower beds and still water your trees and shrubs. Be prepared to turn off outdoor water features - like fountains.
When was the drought plan adopted in Arizona?
The plan was adopted in 2004 and its continued implementation was ordered in 2007 (EO2007-10). The Arizona Department of Water Resources prepares an Arizona Drought Preparedness Annual Report that covers the drought conditions and preparedness activities for the water year.
Shrinking supplies drive water-saving needs
Buschatzke began with an overview of Arizona’s worsening water challenges, including the declining reservoirs of the Colorado River, which store water that flows through the Central Arizona Project Canal to desert cities from Scottsdale to Tucson.
Many golf courses use groundwater
Buschatzke replied that he and his staff “recognize the need to have a program that allows the golf industry to continue to move forward.” He said they’ll continue to accept comments about any of the proposals.
Grappling with a 'drier future'
One subject that came up only once during the meeting was climate change, when Buschatzke briefly uttered the words and referred to the “long-term effects finally hitting us from the drier future.”
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.