But recent Texas Agricultural Experiment Station research shows few adverse effects when recycled water is used on turfgrass. The results suggest that a university or other large facility could reap significant water (and money) savings by diverting partially-treated wastewater to local landscapes and sports fields.

The findings are significant, researchers say, because it could help reduce daily demands on diminishing water supplies.

The study examined Type 1 recycled water, known as municipally treated wastewater, reclaimed water or effluent water. It?EUR??,,????'?????<

Officials questioned whether customers on the recharge zone could use recycled water for irrigating turfgrass. Water officials?EUR??,,????'?????<

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Results also revealed a slight increase in potassium in leaf tissue, and ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Thomas, who partnered on the study with Dr. Richard White, Experiment Station scientist, said Type 1 recycled water receiving the highest treatment is rated safe for incidental human contact.

Tifway Bermudagrass and Jamur zoysiagrass were used in the study. Samples of runoff water, leachate water, and soil and leaf tissue were collected monthly and tested for nine nutrients and total salts.

Both water sources were found to be capable of producing high quality, ?EUR??,,????'?????<

So far, the SFWMD has documented more than 200 water restriction violations by permit holders such as homeowners associations, golf courses and other water users. Under Florida State Statutes, the District is authorized to seek civil penalties of up to $10,000 per offense per day for water use violations.

The South Florida Water Management District has passed the harshest landscape watering restrictions ever, Phase III, for Broward and eastern Palm Beach Counties. Miami-Dade County and counties north of Palm Beach County, such as Martin County, are spared for now with only Phase II water use restrictions.

Many are also required to make frequent reports on the quantities they are using, and are subject to fines if they do not meet goals or make reports.

100% Reclaimed Water is Not Restricted

Interestingly, water recycling systems that use 100 percent reclaimed water are not subject to the restrictions.

Past droughts have had other severe threats such as that of sinkhole formation in the Orlando metropolitan area. The SFWMD realizes that Phase III water use restrictions have the potential for economic costs of $1,000 to $15,000 per acre foot of water saved, which could include the costs that must be incurred by property owners to repair or rehabilitate landscapes damaged during water shortages as well as the costs to reduce the impact of water use restrictions.

A cross-section of South Florida shows how the land?EUR??,,????'?????<

Enforcement Targets All Users

In addition, local municipalities which enforce water rules for non-permitted users such as individual homeowners, have reported issuing more than 9,400 warnings and citations for violations. In the 2000-2001 drought there were 18,623 warnings and 7,628 tickets.

For now the most important thing that landscape water users can do, besides reprogramming automatic time clocks to stay within the law, is to test and adjust irrigation systems so that they will perform adequately (adequate distribution uniformity) during the limited times that they will be used. A cup catchment test is very useful to determine the average and range of precipitation distribution by the sprinkler system.

The results of the cup catchment test, putting out cups and measuring irrigation depth in the cups, should be used to determine the average irrigation duration needed to wet the root zone within the limited day and times that it is allowed and to be applied, and to determine the maintenance and improvements needed for the irrigation system function properly to cover all areas as uniformly as possible.

Source: turfgrass.com.