Recycling a precious commodity: water

May 23, 2013  - By

Irrigating turfgrasses with recycled water

Dr. Ali Harivandi

Dr. Ali Harivandi

When the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge drafted his poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and penned the line “water, water, everywhere . . . nor any drop to drink,” he certainly wasn’t thinking about watering turfgrass or landscaping, but he could have been.

Dr. Ali Harivandi, environmental horticulturist, University of California Cooperative Extension, is quick to point out that, “Although three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water, only a fraction is readily available and of sufficient quality for human use or irrigation.”

Droughts across the U.S. in recent years, along with water shortages, the rising cost of potable water and the scarcity of fresh water have magnified the importance of this precious commodity. There’s also another reason that interest in recycled water is on the rise, and that has to do with strides in technology and advanced water treatment processes that have made better-quality treated water more accessible.

In Harivandi’s “Purple Gold – A contemporary view of recycled water irrigation,” which appeared in the December 2011 issue of the USGA Green Section Record, he noted, “Recycled water is now the irrigation source of approximately 15 percent of U.S. golf courses and close to 35% of courses in the southwestern states rely on recycled water.”

That said, it’s no wonder that there is a growing interest on the part of golf course superintendents, athletic field supervisors, landscapers and many others regarding the value and practicality of using recycled water for irrigation.

Wolf Run Golf Club sign

The Wolf Run Golf Club in Reno, Nev., is one of many golf courses in the southwest making use of recycled water. Photo: Lynn Grooms, TPI TurfNews

In response to an ever-growing interest in the use of recycled water, Harivandi created an informative PowerPoint presentation titled “Irrigating Turfgrasses with Recycled Water.”

The presentation addresses recycled water as a valuable resource for irrigating golf courses, parks, athletic fields, and other landscape sites and effectively summarizes the state of the science and practice today.

Featuring more than 140 slides, the program provides worthwhile information for industry and academics working in turf including those involved in golf course maintenance, athletic field management, urban soil and water quality monitoring, as well as environmental scientists in the fields of water use and conservation.

If you have considered irrigating turfgrasses with recycled water, it’s likely you will find Dr. Harivandi’s presentation both insightful and informative. It’s available through the Crop Science Society of America, and it’s a worthwhile investment if the use of recycled water is of interest to you and your business.

Order “Irrigating Turfgrasses with Recycled Water” online by clicking the multimedia link and referring to item number B30479CD (CD) or B30479DW (download). Or send inquiries to books@sciencesocieties.org or call the Society Store at 608-268-4960.

 

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Turfgrass Producers International – TPI

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