An adequate water supply for irrigating golf courses is a growing concern for golf courses world wide,often competing directly with human potable consumption, golf course turf grass and landscape irrigationas well as industrial application, agricultural application, and environmental needs. The critical need toaddress this water resource demand is more acute in drought prone areas, areas of limited water supply,and areas of dense populations. One of the solutions to reduce competition with potable water use is toprovide effluent reuse water to the golf courses. Regulatory and political bodies have attempted to enticegolf courses to accept reclaimed wastewater effluent through a number of incentives including unlimitedsupply and retention of nutrients. But there are a number of issues that have arisen as a result of thispractice that may adversely affect golf course care.The effluent reuse water can be used to the overall benefit of the public, environment, and golf courses.This reuse of a valuable resource is mutually beneficial, if and only if, the effluent reuse system ismonitored to ensure compliance, inclusive of the agreement and design. In general, the difficulty incontracting with purveyors of effluent reuse water is that while the contract typically obliges the user toaccept reused water on specific terms, there is no corresponding "mutuality of obligation" imposed uponthe provider and no "mutuality of remedy" available to the user. The contracts tend to be provided on a"take it or leave it" basis without affording the user any realistic opportunity to bargain. In the contract, itis important that both parties agree to water quality goals, including physical, chemical, and microbialquality (including viral, pharmaceutically active substance, and/or endocrine system disruptors);compliance issues, storage concerns; and, disinfection requirements. The golf course superintendents (andoutside laboratories) should not only monitor the effluent reuse water, but also the turf grass and soilquality. Includes 9 references.
