N
early one in 10 watersheds in the United States
is stressed with demand for clean water out-
weighing supply. According to a 2013 report by
NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Research in
Environmental Sciences, this demand comes from the 313.9 mil-
lion 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,
governments 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 resources efficiently, though it is also driven by
economic factors.
Although water management should be a priority for most
businesses, the landscape industry faces increased pressure to sus-
tain water use. Fortunately, with advanced technologies, height-
ened attention to design detail, further research into horticulture
and a focus on education, 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 consump-
tion and use. That's not the only reason this hot topic continues
to be at the forefront. The economics behind water conserva-
tion are pushing cities to rely on architects and other landscape
industry professionals to design spaces that are more energy effi-
cient 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
challenges for municipalities. First, fresh-water treatment facilities
are beginning 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 balance 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 challenge 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
Managing Water
28 Green Media July 2014 www.greenmediaonline.com
Water Management
By Dan Gregg
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.
How landscape irrigation can help conserve
nature's most valuable resource
