Twenty-five years using reclaimed water to irrigate a golf course in Gran Canaria

Abstract

Low focus in water management and short time data availability are the main limiting factors for reclaimed water project analysis. One of the oldest Spanish golf courses with a medium period of available data was selected to study and describe the medium time effects (25 years) on soil and aquifer as a consequence of reclaimed water reuse, and to compare the experimental results with reclaimed water quality criteria under a sustainability point of view. An excess of reclaimed water (83%) is used for this golf course irrigation in spite of the high water price (€ 0.4 m–3). The excess water reduced the risk of substances accumulation in soils, but for several of them the foresaid excess increased the possibility of polluting the aquifer (nitrates). Experimental data confirmed sustainability water quality criteria which predicted phosphorus and boron accumulation in soil. Soil characteristics and water management have to be also considered as critical factors to explain water quality effects in land and environmental conditions.

Hydrogeophysical Assessment of the Critical Zone below a Golf Course Irrigated with Reclaimed Water close to Volcanic Caldera

“…The existence of water oozes under the lower and thicker soil layer and a water gallery in the slope of the Caldera in fractured ignimbrite under the pyroclastic layer corroborates the results [6]. [19]. Moreover, in this study, its narrow thickness seems not to modify the global average of electrical resistivity values as we use 20 m for the resistivity assessment presented in Figure 7.…”

“…Transported soil was measured in P5, P6, P8, P14, P15 and P16 (Figure 7). Those soils present variable hydraulic properties due to their structure and content in organic matter and will probably be less deep which explains the need to add transported soil [19]. Moreover, in this study, its narrow thickness seems not to modify the global average of electrical resistivity values as we use 20 m for the resistivity assessment presented in Figure 7.…”

“…The hydrogeophysical study was carried out in a golf course located midlands of Gran Canaria island's north-eastern section, at an altitude of between 400 m and 500 m (Figure 1). The Bandama Golf Course has 18 holes whose fairways and greens cover approximately 14.5 ha and spraying irrigation frequencies vary between winter and summer when doses reach a maximum rate of 7 mm/day [19]. From the climatological point of view, the Bandama Golf Course is in an area with an annual rainfall module slightly above 300 mm, while the average temperature is 19 • C (22 • C in summer and 16 • C in winter).…”

“…In this sense, the Bandama Golf Course has been selected for performing a detailed case study to evaluate the vulnerability to aquifer contamination as a pilot plot in volcanic areas. Since 1976, the irrigation of the golf course has been carried out in the Bandama's site with reclaimed water from the wastewater treatment plant of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria [19]. Aquifer contamination and presence of organic contaminants in reclaimed water used to irrigate Bandama Golf Course had been evaluated in previous studies, constating the presence of emerging contaminants and occasional pesticide concentration above European threshold limits in groundwater 250 m bellow the golf course [6,20,21].…”

Use of Recycled Water for Irrigation of Open Spaces: Benefits and Risks

“…Similar studies were conducted by Levy et al (1999) and Aiello et al (2007). Some investigators (Estevez et al 2010) reported less or no effect of soil salinisation due to recycled water application in open spaces. However, to be on the safe side, an intensive management and long term monitoring was recommended to avoid mass loading of salt and nutrients in soil (Tanji 1997;Zhang et al 2006).…”