Drip irrigation helps alleviate water problems at Sun Lakes

Sun Lakes Country Club in Banning, Calif., which occupies about 180 acres in Riverside County, was one of the three top water users in the city. Besides an 18-hole golf course where 90,000 rounds of golf are played annually, the club also provides a scenic backdrop for more than 3,000 homes that surround the course. In 2002, the city reduced Sun Lakes’ irrigation water supply by 50 percent because of a drought.

The drought and the reduction of water supply, which led to the destruction of much of the club’s turf, was only part of the club’s water concerns. Because water scarcity was an ongoing concern for the city, the club not only faced the probability of another reduction of water but its water costs also were going to increase by almost 50 percent. Tim Taylor, the club’s general manager, had to find a way to conserve water quickly.

Challenges
The club’s water supply was provided by the City of Banning, and the course didn’t have access to reclaimed water. The city was in the process of upgrading its water infrastructure to help ease the water problem but needed to raise water costs to fund the project.

“We needed to think of cost-effective and creative ways to conserve water,” Taylor says.

Without adequate water, large areas of the course and common areas were dying. Taylor soon realized converting the nonplaying areas from turf to native plant material and irrigating those areas using drip irrigation would help him manage the water crisis. However, Taylor recognized it would be challenging to convince the homeowners that replacing nonplay turf areas to native plantings would save water and be aesthetically pleasing.

In early 2003, after much public discussion and education about how the benefits of drip irrigation and the use of native plants would accommodate the club’s water restrictions, Taylor received approval for the conversion. The project included renovating 4.5 acres. Under the supervision of superintendent Mike Snyder, the club’s on-site maintenance crew was in charge of the design and installation of the drip irrigation system.

Because they wanted a system that required minimal maintenance, the crew sought an irrigation system that used reliable components. After conducting research, the crew recommended Rain Bird Xerigation, or low-volume irrigation products, because of the extensive product line and because the products are simple to use, reliable and durable.

Based on the recommendation of architecture firm RBC Landscaping, the crew began the conversion by planting native trees and shrubs that required less water. A point-source drip system was installed because it offered the most direct coverage for the native plant material to thrive. The system also targeted watering in high maintenance areas. This saved water, reduced weed growth and extended the life of the mulch. The crew used multi-outlet emitters on PVC pipe and then ran ¼-inch distribution tubing directly to each plant. To provide correct flow, filtration and pressure regulation, the crew installed Commercial Control Zone Kits in all drip zones.

The resulting system was durable and provided the precise watering needed for the landscaping, according to Snyder.

Big savings
The maintenance crew completed the renovation project under the projected goal of two years with no interruption in the crew’s usual course maintenance duties. The drip irrigation system saves almost 4 million gallons of water annually and reduced course maintenance. Homeowners have been impressed with colorfully planted zones and have noticed the drip system mitigates several of the negative effects of the old rotor system such as overspray, occasional brown spots and rotor noise.

Overall, the conversion yielded a water savings of 69 percent, resulting in an annual water cost savings of $6,346 per year. Because the club’s board of directors was so impressed with the results, it’s now considering converting more of the nonplaying turf areas to sparse plantings and drip. This would save 33 million gallons of water per year yielding an annual water cost savings of $52,360.

“Needless to say, the project was a great success,” Taylor says. GCN

Janet Reilly is the marketing manager for the Landscape Drip Division at Rain Bird Corp.