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Water Sources & Potability
Determining and documenting sources of golf course irrigation water plays a significant role in filling in State data gaps, creating a comprehensive drought management plan, as well as building or creating a green golf course. Understanding whether the water comes from surface or ground water can be an important piece of information in the case of a drought due to the variation of water sources in RI. For example, the southern part of the state primarily relies of ground water where as the rest of the state mostly draws off surface water. Due to the increasing pressures and strains that are currently being placed on water resources in RI, especially in the southern portion on the state, determining water withdrawals is crucial to successful management.
According to my research, the majority of golf course irrigation water
is self supplied, and the source is either a well or a pond, both natural
and man-made. The majority of golf course irrigation water (84%) is ground
water, 29% from wells, 15% from wells that pump into a holding pond, and
30% from natural, spring fed ponds. The two most common sources of water
are ponds and wells. The ponds were divided into two categories: spring
fed natural ponds and well-fed, man-made ponds. The man-made ponds, frequently
holding ponds, were maintained with water pumped from wells during the
day. I was told that wells alone could not supply the amount of water
needed by a golf course without running dry. Thus, six out of 20 superintendents
pump water into a holding pond during the day, and irrigate with the pond
water at night. Only two of the twenty courses I interviewed irrigated
with town water, and only one course irrigated with treated wastewater..
The source of irrigation water has a major impact on golf courses and
on the environment. Golf courses want clean irrigation water in order
to grow healthy, strong turf. However, if water is continually withdrawn
from a taxed resource, the potential increases for environmental as well
as health problems to arise. Thus one of my recommendations
is for superintendents to look for alternative sources of water, primarily
treated wastewater and storm water.
| The majority of golf course superintendents (40%) do
not irrigate with potable water, however, this does not mean the water
is dirty, or of poor quality. The non-potable water often originated
from the ground, but was pumped into ponds where it became stagnant,
and exposed to road run-off. Effluent, the Ten Mile River, and shallow
wells were also sources of non-potable water. Thirty five percent of golf superintendents assume their irrigation water is potable but have not tested specifically for potability. In these cases there was a separate water supply for the clubhouse that met all other water needs aside from irrigation. The thirty five percent of superintendents who reason their water is clean enough to drink make this assumption based on the fact that it comes straight from the ground and that they themselves often drank it. It is common for superintendents to test the water for sodium, chloride, ph, sulfer, and iron, but not for potability. Twenty five percent of the interviewed golf courses reported irrigating with potable water. This was either town water or it came from well water that had been tested. Thus, 60% of the water used to irrigate golf courses is potentially potable. |
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| Geese can contribute to water contamination. | |