Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/252445
N early one in 10 watersheds in the United States is stressed with demand for clean water outweighing supply. According to a 2013 report by NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Re- search in Environmental Sciences, this demand comes from the 313.9 million people living in the country and their needs, such as food, drink, cleaning, manufacturing and landscaping, to name a few. With such pressure being put on water supply, businesses, govern- ments and individuals must look for ways to curb water usage. Water conservation is as hot of a topic as ever due to this need to use re- sources efficiently, though it is also driven by economic factors. Although water management should be a priority for most busi- nesses, the landscape industry faces increased pressure to sustain water use. Fortunately, with advanced technologies, heightened attention to design detail, further research into horticulture and a focus on educa- tion, professionals in the industry are poised for success to contribute to water conservation. Driving forces The conversation surrounding water preservation generally focuses on the need for clean water supply for human consumption and use. That's not the only reason this hot topic continues to be at the fore- front. The economics behind water conservation are pushing cities to rely on architects and other landscape industry professionals to design spaces that are more energy efficient than ever, while not only saving natural resources, but also financial resources. While watersheds and other sources supply a limited amount of water, populations continue to grow, leading to two primary chal- lenges for municipalities. First, fresh-water treatment facilities are be- ginning to top out, creating demand to build new plants. Second, cities must rid themselves of treated waste water, but can only let a limited amount into creeks and rivers. This leads to the need to strike a bal- ance between how much to treat and how much to dispose. Determining the amount of water to treat is at the core of both challenges. It is a delicate balance, since water is almost drinkable once it is treated, but only a certain amount per day is discharged. If too much is treated, then a city must dispose of it. If too little is treated, the city may need to build an additional facility. Of course, there are costs associated with the building, so methods for reusing water are explored before investing in additional infrastructure. What does a city do if it has too much water? Some have started contracting with golf courses to install an effluent water supply pipe so they can use the treated water to irrigate the golf course. The chal- lenge here is that both sides must agree on how many gallons to use per day. If the golf course takes in too much water, it is wasted and the grass may be over watered, resulting in undesirable playing con- 16 Landscape and Irrigation January/February 2014 www.landscapeirrigation.com Irrigation and Water Management Managing Water By Dan Gregg How landscape irrigation can help conserve nature's most valuable resource Image ©istockphoto.com/Kuzihar Fresh-water treatment facilities are beginning to top out, and cities must also rid themselves of treated waste water. Determining the amount of water to treat is at the core of both challenges.