U.S. Water News Online
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- Recycling treated wastewater to irrigate a golf course could save up to 300,000 gallons of drinking water daily during the summer and reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer going into the Piscataqua River, said city engineer Peter Rice.
The city studied what would be the result of using highly treated wastewater from its treatment facility on the Pease Golf Course.
Rice said the study estimates that the cost to build the necessary infrastructure to use recycled wastewater could be between $3 million and $4.5 million, depending on the type of storage facility used.
Rice said the information will be used to plan water system upgrades related to the Pease Tradeport.
"With additional growth expected at the Tradeport and throughout the city, it is important to plan for future impact on our drinking water supplies," he said.
Rice said the golf course uses between 200,000 and 300,000 gallons of drinking water daily for irrigation.
"There may be other businesses on the Tradeport that also could use reclaimed water for manufacturing or other uses," he said.
Reclaimed water has been used for irrigation to preserve scarce drinking water supplies in the southern and western parts of the country for more than 40 years. The study by Camp, Dresser & McKee Inc. noted that cost is one reason the concept has not been embraced in New England.
"Currently it is less costly to continue to provide potable water to the golf course than it will be to construct the infrastructure necessary to provide reclaimed water," the study said. "In the long term, however, other environmental and institutional factors will likely make this project more attractive."
The study said using reclaimed water also will benefit the groundwater table since the treated water would not be discharged into the river. It also would reduce fertilizer demand at the golf course.
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