The Bridges Golf Club has been using recycled or reclaimed water from the San Ramon Valley Recycled Water Program for more than a year now. Early on I was very leery about using this water as it was heavy in certain nitrates. Our entire chemical application process changed in order to adapt to the recycled water.
But I am pleased to say the end result has made us a satisfied customer and a greener customer in every sense of the word.
I know we have a “distinguished” reputation in the Bay Area and keeping our turf in prime condition is the most important. The higher amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the recylced water keeps the turf healthier. The stresses from hot weather and wind are also less significant with recycled water than with potable water. I find that we don’t need to fertilize as often.
When we used potable water for irrigation, our maintenance crews applied about 80,000 pounds of granular fertilizer annually. Now with recycled water irrigation, we only apply about 20,000 pounds, which saves thousands of dollars each year. Using less fertilizer also helps the environment.
Because of the recycled water we have changed our procedures for adding soil supplements. To break down the salt found in recycled water we apply calcium chloride to the soil. It also flushes the soil more often to minimize salt buildup.
Another great reason for using recycled water is that it conserves potable water supplies. As an example, by using recycled water for irrigation rather than high-quality potable water with all their customers, the San Ramon Valley Recycled Water Program (SRVRWP) conserved enough drinking water to suply more than 6000 homes for an entire year.
Tim Youngberg – Superintendent, The Bridges Golf Club
