Water Quality Technologies for the Sports-turf Industry

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Professional sportsturf is a significant user of water. In Northern Europe this is not really an issue as much comes from rainfall, but legislation is tight regarding leachate quality and its treatment. In Southern Europe and arid countries low rainfall means that treated water is primarily used for irrigation but this can mean a high salt content with turfgrass quality issues and intense management resulting.

What new technologies are being developed that can;
1. Simply and cost-effectively further improve the quality of TSE (treated sewage effluent) water?
2. Trap and cleanse nitrate dominant leachate at outfall location/s before discharge?

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3 Answers

  1. Excellent diagnosis Daniel. Each of the mentioned items must be dealt with. 1. when installing turf the soil must be deeper and layered. a) to hold the moisture longer a b) allow excess to drain slowly in a semi enclosed system. 2. Must incorporate a microbial balance and a nutritional balance in that soil. This sets the stage for efficient biological mineralization. 3. The water being used must not in any way have chlorine in it. This defeats the purpose of a strong turf that looks good and mainly takes care of itself. Stadiums have a very large surface area. The collection, storage and use of rain water must be part of the original design reducing the need for potable drinking water from public use. Cost a heck of a lot less also. You do have a choice of which soil to use. The NEW modern technology ( has been used for 4.5 billion years) is called bioremediation.  Nature has 2 microbial main groups for compound reduction to its elemental/nutritional state.  DNA and RNA.  DNA most are familiar with: bacteria and fungi. Bacteria creates beneficial proteins. Fungi acts as a transport system for these nutrients.  But in order to reduce to elemental state requires the RNA microbial group. That name is Archaea. When using this no odor, all pathogens and toxins are eliminated, and up to 50% water and fertilizing reduction. Setting up an onsite recycling center that makes its own compost/soil nutrient product will help your soil, eliminate event waste, and improve profit margins. In sports like nature you have to work the soil to gain some ground. Sorry, no hail marys in nature. In the words of Yoda. " Do, not do. No try ! ".  

  2. Irrigation volume is the issue with turf. The application and duration of irrigation water is higher than the capacity of the turf or "soil" to hold. The ecology of the turf areas would most likely process the nutrients if left in a natural state. High irrigation rates and shallow soils do not allow the roots to absorb the nutrients or grow deeper.

    Water cleaning and processing can be done prior to the application in wetlands and ponds which would then be the collection points of outfall, with no need for discharge. The irrigation system should be a closed loop with ecological services of plants and organisms metabolizing and breaking down the compounds. TSE sources should not be trusted and easily used with prior filtering through natural systems in ponds or large tanks. One note: dry land use of irrigation leave a desert level of evaporation higher than precipitation. Over time the salts will build in the soil system. Another good reason to run the TSE through a plant based extractive system.

    Take care,

    Daniel

     

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    1. Thanks Daniel for your observations. I agree entirely with your assessments and in an 'ideal world' this would be a 'design standard'. In less than ideal existing designs, be it stadia or golf, then poor quality water, poor maintenance and leachate discharge into groundwater are just facts and we seek to understand simple technologies that can be installed to achieve better quality turf and reduce impacts to groundwater. In developing countries for example where professional sportsturf maintenance is just beginning to be understood and agrochemical products of lower quality there is a need for education from soup to nuts but also using technology whilst this is ongoing. Thanks again !

  3. Hi Jonathan, please have a look at www.makroorganics.com or check in on my facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009391045997

    We specialize in that industry specifically for Golf and Turf with both water treatment and turf products. We have agents in UK as well. You are welcome to send me an email at dave@makroorganics.com I will supply you will detailed info on what we offer.

     

    Regards

    Dave

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