Water is a precious resource in a desert, and the
Recreation Centers of Sun City, Inc., depends on it to keep its golf
courses in the best playing condition for RCSC members and cardholders.
RCSC currently uses groundwater to water its golf courses, but
groundwater is a limited resource with the growing population in
Arizona. Therefore, RCSC is committed to conserving water as well
as exploring other water sources to protect the resource of groundwater.
One option RCSC has explored is bringing water from the Colorado River
to the Sun Cities via a pipeline from the Central Arizona Project canal.
RCSC, along with Arizona American Water, the Recreation Centers of Sun
City West and Briarwood Country Club, is commissioning a study to assess
the feasibility of using CAP water in the Sun Cities.
Arizona currently “mines” 2.5 million acre-feet of
groundwater each year that is not naturally replenished. The
Central Arizona Project, a canal that runs 336 miles from Lake Havasu
City to south of Tucson, was built to conserve this groundwater by
carrying water from the Colorado River to Arizona communities.
Construction on the canal began in 1973 and took 20 years to complete.
The canal delivers an average of 1.5 million acre feet of Colorado River
water annually to over 80 customers.
RCSC Director Don Schordje noted that “there are a lot
of misconceptions about CAP water floating around.” Mr. Schordje
referred to a Vent in the March 15 issue of the Daily News-Sun, titled
“Water Course,” in which the writer expressed concerns about RCSC giving
up its right to pump groundwater if CAP water was brought in. Mr.
Schordje stated that these fears could be allayed since RCSC would never
agree to give up its rights to groundwater. “At no time in the
past or present has RCSC ever considered surrendering its grandfathered
rights to pump groundwater onto our golf courses,” he responded.
RCSC owns 9 wells used to pump groundwater and 10
distribution stations that pump water from the lake to the courses.
RCSC also has the use of a well at Sunland Cemetery. According to
Mr. Schordje, even if RCSC did begin to use CAP water on the golf
courses, the pumps and distribution stations would remain in service
since the amount of CAP water RCSC could receive would only make up 80
percent of what is needed to maintain the courses. “We will always need
to pump some groundwater onto the courses under the current drought
conditions,” he said. RCSC would also reserve the right to pump
more groundwater if the CAP allocations were cut due to increased
drought or other issues.
Many other golf courses in Arizona use CAP water for
course maintenance. Only 2 percent of Arizona’s water consumption can be
attributed to the state’s golf courses; however, 54 percent of that 2
percent comes from CAP water or reclaimed water.
RCSC first began exploring the CAP option in 1994 after
being approached by the Sun City Water Co. (now Arizona American Water).
A study was commissioned to explore the feasibility of bringing CAP
water to the Sun Cities, but lawsuits brought against Sun City by groups
opposed to the CAP plan stalled the project. The lawsuits were
finally dropped or resolved in RCSC’s favor by 2006 and Arizona American
has again approached Sun City about bringing CAP water to the area.
As project costs have increased since the original study, a new study
will have to be performed. RCSC is currently working with Arizona
American Water, the Recreation Centers of Sun City West and Briarwood
Country Club to organize the study.
However, CAP water will not make RCSC’s water problems
disappear, said RCSC Director of Golf and Grounds John Snyder.
“There will always be a need to conserve water here,” he said. “We
still need to be vigilant in reducing the amount of water used to keep
our courses in the best playing condition.”
Look for more information about steps RCSC is currently
taking to conserve water internally in another press release to come
shortly.
Contact: Lindsay Frost, RCSC Communications Coordinator
(623) 876-3060, ext. 3087;
