A REED BED HAS LIMITATIONS
Waste2Water’s Tim Earley suggests that, whilst a reed bed has some merit on cost, it will not keep pace with current legislation
REED beds are an excellent method of naturally cleaning water and are widely used in applications such as treating sewage waste. However, a reed bed provides only a partial solution to the needs of a golf course maintenance facility as it cannot efficiently handle oils, grease, chemicals or grass clippings, which are likely to be present:
• Oils and greases cannot be allowed to enter the reed bed as this will ‘blind’ the reed bed, creating anaerobic conditions. Should excessive oils enter the reed bed this will need to be cleaned out to repair the damage and restore its natural functioning.
• Chemicals may be only partially treated or pass straight through the reed bed untreated and may also cause damage to the reeds.
• Fine grass clippings must not enter the reed bed or it will quickly silt-up, causing it to malfunction and creating a stinking, mulched vegetation area.
• A reed bed does not recycle the water for continual reuse, as some systems do.
To address the reed bed limitations and ensure its correct operation the operator will need to follow a strict operating routine. Providing this is followed the reed bed should work well, although some greenkeepers may consider the operating restrictions impractical. Operating procedures will need to include:
• Checking equipment for oil leaks prior to wash-off.
• Equipment refuelling must be undertaken in a separate area to the wash pad, to avoid hydrocarbon contamination of the reed bed. The new Pollution Prevention Guideline (PPG 7 - Fuel Dispensing) requires that all refuelling must be undertaken in a controlled area, which has an impervious surface and a collection point to retain any spillages. A separate controlled refuelling area will therefore need to be constructed, if this has not already been done, as it is
56 no longer
permissable to refuel on an open yard, waste ground or grass areas etc.
• Chemical handling and rinsing/washing of the chemical sprayer must be undertaken away from the reed bed equipment wash pad.
• It is also advisable to minimise the amount of clippings entering the reed bed. An air blower is recommended to blow off the excess clippings from the equipment prior to wash-off as stopping the fine tees and greens clippings from entering the reed bed is easier said than done. If a fine mesh grid is installed to retain all the clippings this will continually block and need constant attention. A wider mesh grid will not get blocked up but will let the fine clippings through.
Installation of a reed bed can be cost effective, particularly if it can be constructed in-house, depending upon individual site requirements. However, as many facilities will require additional environmental protection facilities (e.g. a dedicated separate refueling area), in practice, it is unlikely any significant cost savings will materialise for most.
Add the pressure of ensuring future compliance with ever-increasing environmental legislation and the ‘complete solution’ systems, which at first sight may appear more expensive, are clearly in the frame for serious consideration. They create an Environmental Activity Centre, which deals with all the environmental concerns in one area, is future-proof and has the advantage of ease of use for the operator.
Dealing with the complete range of environmental concerns at one visit, without the need to constantly check if the club is still in compliance, surely has to be the way to go.
Further information from:
www.waste2water.com
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