Golf courses use a lot of water and during a drought that can be cause for concern, but when that water is recycled, the emphasis is water conservation.
The latest in the Inland Empire to make a change to using recycled water is The Lakes at Hemet West’s nine-hole golf course. The Lakes retirement community recently made the change to using recycled water to irrigate the course and drought-tolerant landscaping in some areas.
Glenn Miller, golf course consultant for The Lakes, said the sustainable change will preserve the 50-year-old lakes and “allow us to continue to live in a comfortable environment.”
Part of that change was partnering with the Eastern Municipal Water District, which has converted about 10 other courses in the area including, Golf Club at Rancho California in Murrieta, Cherry Hills Golf Course in the Sun City area of Menifee, and Canyon Lake Golf and Country Club to recycled water for irrigation over the last few years.
Before, The Lakes used 250 acre-feet of drinkable water every year and after the water-conserving changes they’ll use approximately 70 acre-feet of drinkable water and 110 acre-feet of recycled water each year, said Joe Mouawad, Eastern’s general manager.
“During the historic drought, golf courses have been under scrutiny,” said Mouawad, “We are adamant about reverting non-functional turf but golf courses are recreational.”
This is especially important, he said, as we see the effects of the drought such as limiting water consumption for consumers and the state’s reservoir water loss.
Some parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties are going through severe and extreme drought, according to a weather drought indicator from the California Water Watch, which provides state water data. And some in San Bernardino and LA counties already have water restrictions in place.
Other golf courses in the Inland Empire use recycled water, too.
The 18-hole General Old Golf Course, off Van Buren Boulevard near March Air Reserve Base, switched in 2015 to recycled water through Western Municipal Water District’s recycled water program, district spokesperson Grace Cardenas said.
Over at the 18-hole Yucaipa Valley Golf Course, they’ve been using recycled water for the past 15 years on top of using their groundwater wells, which is drinkable water, said Yucaipa Valley Water District General Manager Joseph Zoba.
“Even in times of drought, to have school and golf courses connected to recycling water … it improves quality of life,” Zoba said.
Experts and water districts said using recycled water is a good water-saving solution during the drought.
“Using recycled water as an alternative option alleviates the pressure on limited available freshwater supplies in Southern California,” said Amir Haghverdi, associate professor of agriculture and urban water management at UC Riverside, via email.
Drought tolerant plants are also part of the solution.
Removing and converting grass to a drought-tolerant turf is the most water conscious change someone can make to reduce water usage, according to bewatersmart.com, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the state’s regional wholesaler, website.
Emergency restrictions
In 2015, then-Gov. Jerry Brown imposed the state’s first mandatory water-use restriction that affected homeowners, farmers, and other businesses — including golf courses.
With that 2015 restriction, water-saving solutions started to take effect including higher fees for high-volume water users, increased rebates for water-saving alternatives and limited lawn watering.
Restrictions continue this year.
The State Water Resource Control Board announced a statewide ban on watering non-functional commercial and industrial landscapes that took affect June 10.
About 6 million residents from Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties were warned at that time by Metropolitan General Manager Adel Hagekhalil that all outdoor watering could be banned by September if enough water isn’t conserved.
Although Metropolitan doesn’t directly enforce water restrictions, the wholesaler requires its agencies like Inland Empire Utilities Agency and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to enforce such restrictions.
Agencies that don’t meet the water limits would face additional fees.
State funds
As of June 30, the state’s 2022-23 budget will provide an additional $2.8 billion for drought response, adding to the $5.2 billion three-year investment from the 2021-22 budget.
The funds would help communities and fish and wildlife receive state grants for clean water projects, drought-relief projects, fish and wildlife protection and financial assistance for low-income families.
