Differing Methods to Irrigate Landscapes

Flagstaff, Ariz. Councilmember Art Babbott watches as a sprinkler waters one of the fields at Thorpe Park. Babbott is concerned that the City of Flagstaff is using too much drinking water for irrigation. Photo: Arizona Daily Sun

Arizona Non-Potable Water Plan Fails

An attempt by Flagstaff, Ariz. City Council member Art Babbott to launch a pilot project to cut down on the amount of potable water being used by the city for landscape irrigation has failed.

The two-term councilmember wanted the city to explore alternatives to using drinking water on 51 acres controlled by the city. The city uses approximately 6.5 million gallons of water a year on landscaping, 75 percent of which is potable, not reclaimed.

But Babbott didn't win majority support after a city staff report suggested at least one proposal - hauling reclaimed water by truck - would quadruple current costs.

''The solutions have to make sense,'' Councilmember Scott Overton said.

Galveston Reuses Wastewater to Keep Garden Green

Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas is staying green during severe drought conditions across the state thanks to the treatment of wastewater for irrigation purposes. Credit: Lars Leidig

Unlike Flagstaff, Galveston, Texas treats wastewater to keep the popular Moody Gardens green.

Using a filtering system that includes reverse osmosis membranes, Moody Gardens turns the city's treated wastewater effluent into non-potable water for irrigation of its grounds and golf course. This method saves the city $1.25 million annually.

As the city's water supply from reservoirs along the Brazos River dwindles, Galveston was among the entities to enact water restrictions, limiting the use of drinking water to irrigate landscape to two times a week.

The restrictions don't apply to Moody Gardens, because it uses 1 million of the 1.3 million gallons per day the city discards, Reyes Cortez, water treatment maintenance supervisor for Moody Gardens, said.

''We are actually recovering water, water that the city uses that is just (treated) wastewater,'' Reyes Cortez, water treatment maintenance supervisor for Moody Gardens said. ''They're dumping very little water.''

Fontana To Recycle Wastewater

Landscapes in Fontana, Calif. - including city hall - will be hydrated with treated wastewater as part of water savings measures in the city.

Fontana, Calif. officials are taking the Galveston route when it comes to landscape irrigation.

The city of Fontana and the Fontana Water Company have signed a groundbreaking joint recycled water project agreement that will take highly treated wastewater and use it on landscaped areas around the city, saving more than 600 million gallons of fresh drinking water each year.

The company estimates that nearly 2,000 acre-feet of recycled water per year will be used for landscaping at schools, parks, for local commercial customers, and landscape irrigation locations in the southern portion of the city. An acre-foot of water is approximately 326,000 gallons.

''Taking advantage of this recycled water means we will have that much more fresh drinking water when we need it,'' said Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren.

Fontana Water Company will design and build the distribution system. Recycled water requires an entirely separate pipeline system so that it is not mixed with drinking water.