Calif drought, Pasatiempo to receive 50% of its water allotment.

[John Cowden]

Back to the future! 

[Howard Riefs]

Pasatiempo signs a 30-year agreement with the neighboring community of Scotts Valley for the rights to use recycled city water previously pumped into the ocean
http://www.golfadvisor.com/articles/pasatiempo-golf-club-water-use-agreement-santa-cruz-ca-15852.htm

[Dave McCollum]

"No matter what the golf industry says, firm and fast and brown isn't good. It didn't work," Hoyt (Pasa manager) says. "We only had enough water for tees and greens. It cost us a boatload of money. If we had to do that every three or four years, it would be financially crippling for us. The customer had no idea what to expect from us (condition-wise) year to year. Now they do."

Sadly, many of us in the biz have learned this the hard way.

[archie_struthers]

 




Tom Doak is pretty sharp for a full time architect.  He points out why bureaucrats can make you crazy.


When we were under voluntary water restrictions in either 2000 or 2001, we reduced our consumption by over 40% and had brown all over . Greens and surrounds stayed healthy and very playable , fairways fine .  I loved the look but many of our members thought it showed lack of effort on our part. It was really over the top fast and firm .


Next year the courses were slotted to get 50% of their previous years use , yikes !  Now we were down below 30% of our annual allocation .  Some of our competitors who refused to help were awarded 30 million gallons more than us because they had exceeded their allocation during the voluntary restriction period.  No good deed goes unpunished , right.   Good news was that after lots of explaining to some good insiders in the state they reversed this decision and allowed you 50% of your allocation  .  We were sweating pretty good for about three weeks though !


At the end of the day it worked out.

[Tom_Doak]

Tom Doak is pretty sharp for a full time architect.  He points out why bureaucrats can make you crazy.

Archie:


In Pasatiempo's case, the bureaucrats eventually came up with a great solution.


Santa Cruz did not have enough water to spare any for the course.  However, the neighboring town had effluent that it had no use for -- they were piping it to the ocean -- and they reasoned that since some of their residents worked at Pasatiempo, and other residents played there, that they should give the water to the golf course.  Of course, they had to get permission from the state to do that, because they were setting a precedent, but the permission was somehow granted!

[Steve_ Shaffer]

More news from CA's BlackHawk CC:


http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/residents-in-exclusive-calif-community-ordered-to-water-lawns/

[Mike Sweeney]

While the drought in California has been significantly reduced this winter, I still think the water issue will remain. This is a nice update from Goat Hill Park:

• "Today we are proud to serve our wonderful community at Goat Hill Park using 90 percent recycled water.
• We’re saving roughly 30 percent on water costs, and it all wouldn’t be possible without the Water Department of Oceanside and the City Council."
  
  
  http://blog.linksoul.com/goat-hill-park-connects-to-recycled-water-serves-as-model-for-golf-courses-everywhere/

[Pete Lavallee]

Our water reclamation plant is right by Mira Mar Marine Corp. Air Station, my wife worked as a tour guide there many years ago. They are happy to supply reclaimed water to any golf course north of Mission Valley, sadly there is no pipeline going under the San Diego River, so everyone south of Mission Valley has to use potable water to irrigate. Back when she worked there they wanted to return the unused portion to our reservoirs in a "toilet to tap" program as the majority of unused reclaimed water was being discharged to the sea at Point Loma. The recent drought has changed the minds of San Dieganps as we are now finally using this water to top up the reservoirs.

[Carl Nichols]

Our water reclamation plant is right by Mira Mar Marine Corp. Air Station, my wife worked as a tour guide there many years ago. They are happy to supply reclaimed water to any golf course north of Mission Valley, sadly there is no pipeline going under the San Diego River, so everyone south of Mission Valley has to use potable water to irrigate. Back when she worked there they wanted to return the unused portion to our reservoirs in a "toilet to tap" program as the majority of unused reclaimed water was being discharged to the sea at Point Loma. The recent drought has changed the minds of San Dieganps as we are now finally using this water to top up the reservoirs.

Interesting.  Has San Diego received a good amount of the recent rain?


I thought the San Diego River was north of Point Loma?

[Pete Lavallee]

I believe downtown is officially at 9.5", just .5" below normal. despite the geography a pipeline would have to be installed under the San Diego river to get the reclaimed water to golf courses and parks south of there.

[Carl Nichols]

I believe downtown is officially at 9.5", just .5" below normal. despite the geography a pipeline would have to be installed under the San Diego river to get the reclaimed water to golf courses and parks south of there.

I thought you were saying that excess reclaimed water was being discharged to the sea at Point Loma.  Since Point Loma is south of the San Diego River [I think], it seemed like they are somehow getting the reclaimed water south of the River.  Maybe i'm missing something.

[Pete Lavallee]

Carl,

There is a water treatment plant at Point Loma, which discharges San Diego's waste water to the sea via a long pipeline. The infrastructure to get waste water to this plant exists, so surplus reclaimed water went down the sewer pipes to the PL plant. We need a separate network of purple pipes to deliver reclaimed water south of the San Diego River.

[James Bennett]

Pete

could they attach a purple pipeline to a bridge crossing of the San Diego River?
I don't know the area, apologies if it is a silly idea.

James B

(Adelaide uses purple pipes to irrigate parklands and sportsgrounds abutting the CBD some 12 km from the coast, and 12km from the treatment works.  The pipeline network is being extended to irrigate nearby municipal facilities.  No significant river crossings though, not even insignificant ones)