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TruthOf42 t1_j8pp9gg wrote

Steel man's argument: Golf course uses 5,000,000 gallons of water a year.

That sounds like a lot, but how does it relate to the average home? Do they use less or more water per acre than an average home?

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yaroto98 t1_j8q8vhx wrote

In utah there is runoff from the mountains that is collected in reservoirs. That water is used pumped through the irrigation system to most places including golf courses, farms, and houses for lawns.

This system is separate from what they call "culinary water" which is used for everything inside the house. Comparing golf course's water usage to the similar acreage of a residential zone won't be exact, but here's some comparisons. In utah parks, schools, golf courses, and businesses don't really have restrictions on water usage. The irrigation system isn't metered for anyone, but residents are only allowed to use it on certain days on threat of fine if they're caught. Acre per acre houses will use less irrigation water due to there being less grass as houses, roads, driveways, sidewalks, etc will cover most of that area. In addition to that new builds in Utah right now (even the expensive houses) have TINY lawns. These massive houses are on lots measured by sqft not acre.

Conversely culinary water usage would skyrocket. The sources for the culinary water is different that that of the irrigation water. It's from wells and then treated.

However the complaints in Utah right now are due to the departments that handle the irrigation water asking residents more and more often to cut back usage, but residents see it being wasted spraying sidewalks by businesses, keeping golf courses hyper green when they don't go golfing, nor anybody they know golfs. And their tiny lawn and garden barely getting enough to stay greenish in the shade.

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VrolikeFynbos t1_j8qhjon wrote

Thanks, that was interesting. So untreated water vs treated water. Is the irrigation system canals or piped?

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yaroto98 t1_j8rre9q wrote

It is piped. At every house there is a shutoff box with a sediment filter. You're supposed to clean the filter annually, they announce when you can begin using it for the year and when they shut it off for winter so you can close the valve and not pop sprinkler heads while they pressurize the system in the spring. Another way they cut back usage is pressurizing the system later and later in the year.

I've seen people water on the wrong days all the time. I've also seen people use hoses from their houses to water on their off days. Which is kind of counterproductive as that water is the metered treated water, and the whole purpose of the irrigation system is to not use that for watering your lawn.

Oh and I forgot to mention that the golf courses aren't even profitable. They're subsidised by taxes to stay afloat because of corrupt city councils and idiots like those quoted in the article.

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VrolikeFynbos t1_j8vy0zs wrote

In my country everybody pays for commercial (including raw water) water use, even if they use recycled water, but we are a water scarce country.

Not sure why the need to declare their water use. Is calculable just by checking the hectares in use.

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metooeither t1_j8ru4mv wrote

🤣🤣 no, the average home doesn't use half a million gallons of water a year. No one could afford their water bill if that was the case

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truthindata t1_j8q06j8 wrote

An important consideration is the type/quality of water used.

Drinking water vs mon-potable ditch water are not the same thing.

Using a ton of water for a golf course vs letting most that water flow through drainage ditches and evaporate or collect in retention ponds that breed mosquitoes is a nuance that would be hard to properly convey to the generally uneducated public.

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