Boca Raton implemented one of the first reclaimed water systems in Southeast Florida in the early 1990s to irrigate golf courses and landscaped areas, but until recently the utility services department was only able to reuse 50 percent of available wastewater.
Boca's In-City Reclamation Irrigation System will be expanded over the next five years, enabling the city to reclaim 100 percent of wastewater, which will be used in place of valuable drinking water.
"The IRIS water goes through a rigorous cleansing process, and the pipes are completely separate from the city's drinking water system," said Utility Services Director Chris Helfrich.
"When you consider the fact that golf courses use anywhere up to 1.5 million gallons of water per day, being able to use reclaimed water will save untold amounts of drinking water each year."
The program is being embraced by local courses. John Krane, chief operating officer of the Broken Sound Golf Club, said watering restrictions during shortages can wreak havoc on a course.
"The course absolutely suffers during times of drought, and it is common to have large brown patches of dead grass," he said.
Krane added that it's more than just a matter of keeping local golfers in the green. He said that Boca's golf courses are central to the local economy.
"We host professional tournaments in Boca, and our courses are also a big draw for seasonal residents and tourists. If the courses are routinely in bad shape, those areas could also be impacted," he said.
Helfrich said the project expansion will bolster the local economy as well.
"You're talking about a very big project, which will result in the creation of many jobs. With more people working, you have more people spending, and that is the most surefire way to get things going again," he said.
The project has a $15 million price tag, and Helfrich said the bidding process is going in the city's favor.
"We're getting close to 15 bids per job as opposed to the usual two or three. Not only are we getting more bidders, but they are coming in under what we anticipated, in some cases as much as 40 percent less," Helfrich said.
