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OMWD and The Farms Golf Club Celebrate Conversion to Recycled Water

The boards of directors of Olivenhain Municipal Water District and The Farms Golf Club held a valve-turning ceremony on Thursday morning to celebrate completion of the course’s conversion from potable to recycled water.

The Farms Golf Club, located in Rancho Santa Fe, features a state-of-the-art irrigation system and several water features that will no longer require potable water to operate.

Completion of the conversion was especially timely for both OMWD and the golf club. The State Water Resources Control Board will weigh in early May emergency measures that could require several San Diego County water agencies, including OMWD, to reduce potable water use by up to 36 percent relative to 2013 consumption. If approved, the SWRCB’s proposed measures will curtail the amount of potable water that may be used for irrigation purposes.

“As California regulators consider mandating specific reductions in potable water use, the timing for this conversion could not have been better,” said Kimberly Thorner, General Manager of OMWD. “OMWD has been committed to reducing our reliance on imported water, and this is yet another step toward fulfilling that goal.”

“Recycled water is a critical tool in our effort to diversify our water supply and reduce the impacts of drought,” explained OMWD Board President Ed Sprague. “By converting from potable to recycled water for irrigation, The Farms Golf Club has become yet another example of how we can significantly reduce our potable water consumption.”

Troy Mullane, Golf Course Superintendent, added, “Today’s event is the culmination of many years of cooperation and coordination between The Farms and OMWD to convert the course’s irrigation system to recycled water. Previously, 96 percent of the 83-acre course was irrigated with potable water; following the conversion, up to 215 AFY (~70 million gallons) of those irrigation demands will be met with recycled water.”

By converting, the course will almost eliminate its need for potable water while benefiting from the reduced end-user cost of recycled water. Further, the course has better situated itself to comply with restrictions on water use.

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Kimberly Thorner addresses the media.

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OMWD and the Farms Golf Club officials turn recycled water valve.