Golf Course Irrigation with Reclaimed Wastewater

Abstract

Irrigation with treated municipal wastewater has been conducted at the Mas Nou Golf Course since September 1989, in the framework of a jointly sponsored demonstration project. The results obtained during the first 18 months have provided useful criteria for ensuring a satisfactory public health protection and adequate aesthetics of the golf course facilities. The established disinfection strategy together with the natural microbial inactivation taking place at the two landscape impoundments can provide an irrigation water with consistently less than 10 cfu/100 mL of faecal conforms and faecal streptococci. Sudden episodes of algae removal from suspension have been experienced in the first impoundment. However, no aesthetic deterioration or mosquito development has occurred in either of the two impoundments. Preliminary studies of the microbial content of aerosols have shown that by an adequate disinfection of the secondary effluent and the operation of the water jets only during low wind periods it is possible to prevent microbial dispersion by aerosols. The operation and maintenance cost of irrigation with reclaimed municipal wastewater is close to 56 ptas/m3, including pumping costs. An effort to improve the quality of water supply, by preventing the introduction of seawater or brackish water into the sewerage network, as well as improving efficiency and reliability of wastewater treatment processes and operation and management of irrigation systems will greatly contribute to expand the water resources available at many coastal resort towns in the Mediterranean.