Water Conservation Efforts at RCSC

This release is the second in a series about RCSC’s efforts to conserve water and remain inside the allotments required by the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

With eight golf courses to maintain, the Recreation Centers of Sun City, Inc., faces a difficult challenge in keeping the courses in playable condition without exceeding an annual water allotment determined by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. To that end, RCSC is using several different operational strategies to conserve water and help RCSC stay within its usage allotment of 5,101 acre-feet of water per year. According to RCSC Director of Golf and Grounds John Snyder, efficiency and continuous efforts to improve are key to staying within ADWR’s requirements while providing RCSC golfers with well-kept courses.

Many of RCSC’s water conservation efforts occur on a daily basis at each golf course. The irrigation system at each course is controlled by an advanced computer system, and each course also has a weather station that continuously records data on wind speed, barometric pressure, humidity and evaporation. The computer system records this weather data, which is then used to determine the appropriate irrigation times and amounts. The system, Site Pro by Toro, has been in place at RCSC for the past five or six years, according to Mr. Snyder.

Regular maintenance and monitoring of the irrigation equipment is also important, noted Mr. Snyder. There are approximately 2,500 sprinkler heads on each of RCSC’s eight courses, and RCSC golf maintenance employees check every sprinkler head three times per month to make sure each head has the proper pressure and is reaching the appropriate distance. If each sprinkler head is not set up properly with the correct nozzles and pressure, the irrigation system’s efficiency can be reduced. The golf courses also employ a portable pressure monitor to help determine whether the sprinkler heads are operating most efficiently. 

“There is so much that goes behind the scenes at each course on a daily basis,” said Mr. Snyder. “Reducing water use and water waste is always on the minds of our golf staff.” Mr. Snyder added that he has observed some misconceptions about how much water golf courses use. “Only 2 percent of Arizona’s water consumption can be attributed to the state’s golf courses,” he noted. “It is very important for us to continue to conserve water on RCSC courses, but our cardholders should be aware that golf courses don’t use as much water as you might think.” 

 RCSC has also made efforts to increase efficiency through replacing old equipment and installing new energy- and water-saving equipment. New equipment wash systems that reuse water were recently installed at all the courses, and these systems have substantially reduced the amount of water used to clean machinery and tools. 

Landscaping is another area where RCSC focuses its water conservation efforts. As part of the Lakes East course renovation in 2006, desert landscaping was planted on nine of the course’s 70 acres, saving an estimated 14 million gallons of water. Also in 2006, the Quail Run course was named a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, in part because of the course’s efforts to conserve water.  

Another water issue RCSC must manage is seepage. Each golf course has at least one lake and a creek that transports water, and each year some of the lakes and creeks lose water to seepage. Water lost to seepage counts towards RCSC’s annual allotment, so reducing the amount of seepage is critical to remaining within the requirement. A creek at the Riverview course that had been seeping 30 million gallons of water a year was recently lined with concrete, and Viewpoint Lake, which supplies water to Lakes West course, has been sealed twice to prevent seepage. After successfully reaching the goal of reducing the seepage from the lake by almost 50 percent during the first sealing in 2006, RCSC resealed the lake a second time in January 2007. This second resealing was performed at a significantly reduced cost for RCSC due to a provision in the original contract with the sealing vendor, and RCSC chose to go ahead with a second resealing in an effort to reduce seepage beyond the original goal. RCSC recently determined that the most recent resealing did not further reduce seepage levels, although the current seepage level of approximately 285 acre-feet is a significant improvement over the estimated 507 acre-feet the lake was seeping before the first sealing.

Contact: Lindsay Frost, RCSC Communications Coordinator (623) 876-3060, ext. 3087; lfrost@sunaz.com.

---