Technical
The club were a massive step closer to becoming self- sufficient with the reservoir holding good quality water, ready to use
Coot nesting at Frilford Park Golf Club - a sign of clean, healthy water is an abundance of wildlife
quality water, ready to use. I’m often making recommendations of
professionals, such as independent irrigation consultants and geologists, directing clubs to the best people to talk about their irrigation concerns or plans and helping them start the process to achieve a good level of water sustainability. As mentioned, Sid worked closely with the Environmental Agency throughout this process and I know he found that to be a great benefit. Football and rugby clubs are, of course,
more limited with regards to the options available to them in terms of water sustainability, simply down to the lack of space and the fact that they are usually situated in urban areas - not many have a ten million gallon reservoir at their disposal, or the space to create one! But there are ways. Leeds Rhinos, for example, has plans to put in place water holding tanks underneath the stands to harvest water from the stand roofs. Head Groundsman Ryan Golding says the surface area there will collect a good amount of water to reuse. Similarly to Sid, the important thing for Ryan will be ensuring the water is thoroughly
cleaned as, in order for the collected water to be used for pitch irrigation, the salt content of the water, which can be high in rainwater, will have to be low enough to not damage and depreciate the club’s irrigation system. Ryan will test the nutritional value of the water every four weeks and, from the results, will be able to decide whether to irrigate the pitch or use it in the washrooms and showers. Three years ago, Leeds Rhinos invested in a new irrigation system, believing the benefits of having a high spec irrigation system could contribute towards water sustainability, save money and improve grass-growing conditions. Ryan says the efficient head-to-head sprinklers, soil sensing equipment, weather station system and integrated pump stations they opted for have had a big impact on how much water they use and on the club’s bottom line - water off the mains is not cheap and it’s sensible, not only for the environment but also your budget, to use the resource effectively. Interesting stats on water usage in the
world of cricket were identified in the Sport England Sustainable Cricket Project, which highlighted that eighty-four percent of clubs
use mains water for irrigation and that a typical twenty minute watering during pitch preparation uses 500-800l (0.5-0.8m3
) of
water. With water rates changing every three months, as they do, it’s easy to see why, for budgetary planning purposes, it would be a great help to know water usage and spend can be controlled to a degree by the club itself, just like Leeds Rhinos is planning. If I had just one minute with you on this subject, I would stress the importance of how the simple fact of reducing water consumption will bring long-term benefits, and how reducing run-off and selecting drought-tolerant grasses are all steps in the right direction. Because, the fact is, water costs will rise and tighter regulations on usage will become more of an issue. Acting decisively now will bring long-term cost savings and prepare you well for achieving full sustainability - a head start you might be grateful for!
For a chat with Robert about your irrigation needs, call him on 07776 187243
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Mute swan on Frilford Park’s reservoir which now has lots of new inhabitants
PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 I 125
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Water off the mains is not cheap and it’s sensible, not only for the environment but also your budget, to use the resource effectively
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