Do you know that your sports field, golf course, HOA, or private home can all use reclaimed water to irrigate your non-edible green spaces?

At one time, recycled water was only used for golf courses and other outdoor spaces. Now, homeowners can hook up septic sprinklers to their septic tanks.

Many public places use reclaimed water to irrigate their turf and natural landscaped areas. Reclaimed water sprinklers can be found on median strips, sports fields, city parks, and HOAs in golf course communities and golf courses.

In this blog post, you’ll learn more about how reclaimed water is used in people’s backyards and public places:

• Maximizing sustainability by using recycled water for outdoor irrigation
• Enhancing community landscapes using effluent water
• Using non-potable water sprinklers on sports fields and recreational areas.

Maximizing Sustainability By Using Recycled Water for Outdoor Irrigation

Recycled water goes by many names, including

• Reclaimed water
• Reuse water
• Treated wastewater
• Reprocessed water
• Effluent water
• Non-potable water
• Gray water
• Secondary water.

What is reclaimed water?

It’s water from processing plants, wastewater facilities, or a residential septic tank. Non-potable water is treated to remove harmful bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that could affect people's well-being.

For example, gray water is the water that comes from everyday home use, such as water from the washing machine, taking showers or baths, and washing dishes.

Water from city wastewater treatment plants or a residential septic system treats the effluent before it’s used on a property.


Reclaimed water is used in city parks, sports fields, HOAs, and other places where green spaces need water. It doesn’t harm people as long as it’s not used as a substitute for potable water.

You’ll know when reclaimed water is used on public green spaces, golf courses, and sports fields because the piping, sprinkler heads, and other components will be purple. Signage should also warn people not to drink or swim where non-potable water is used for irrigation.

EPA.gov says that recycled water planned for reuse will be used for beneficial irrigation, such as agricultural, landscape, industrial process water, potable water supplies, and groundwater supply management.

However, reclaimed water should never be used in gardens and other places with edible food because of the contamination risk.

And the recycled water doesn’t always come from sewage; it can come from the following sources:

• Agricultural runoff and return flows
• Industry process and cooling water
• Oil and gas refineries
• Stormwater.

Here is a detailed list from the EPA of how treated wastewater can be used in public:

• Agricultural irrigation
• Concrete mixing and other water use in construction
• Environmental restoration
• Indoor uses like toilet flushing
• Landscape irrigation including parks, right-of-ways, and golf courses
• Processed water for power plants, refineries, and factories
• Road surface cleaning and dust control
• Water supply for artificial lakes, inland, and coastal aquifers.

If you’re a homeowner, septic sprinkler systems are similar to municipal wastewater systems, except you use an aerobic spray distribution employing high-performing wastewater treatment in your septic tank to avoid contamination.

You can use recycled water in your lawn and landscaped areas, with spray heads coming up near your septic tank.

How to Enhance Community Landscapes with Effluent Water Sprinklers for HOA and Municipalities

Cities and suburbs use effluent water sprinklers to keep their natural spaces healthy and vibrant. Indeed, reclaimed water does have some beneficial nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous.

Why are these two nutrients important to plant health?

Nitrogen is part of a plant’s chlorophyll, making lawns and landscaping plants green. Phosphorous, on the other hand, helps

• Plants convert the sun’s energy into food
• Plant’s photosynthesis and sugar metabolism
• Store and transport energy
• Cell division, growth, and passing on genetic information.

Additionally, effluent water helps reduce demands on freshwater supplies at the local level. Some property managers or HOA boards may find that using non-potable water keeps lawns and landscapes well-watered while lowering fertilizer use because of the nutrients in the non-potable water.

One of the downfalls of using effluent water on lawns, sports fields, and landscapes is the potential for salt buildup in the soil because of the high sodium content in the non-potable water. You may spend more time testing soil samples and the recycled water for their sodium build-up.

Field of Dreams: Non-Potable Water Sprinklers for Sports Fields and Recreational Areas

Using reclaimed water for sports fields, golf courses, and other recreational areas helps to keep plants well-hydrated and healthy while conserving water.

Indeed, a green, dense sports field needs regular irrigation to continue to look its best for game day. In their article, the STMA Institute of Sports Field Management says turf needs supplemental irrigation when there isn’t enough rainfall.

Also, turfgrass and landscapes are the first to be under water restrictions during a drought. However, sports fields must still look mean and green throughout the year, depending on your location.


The article recommends using best management practices when there is inadequate rainfall. You can save money and conserve water by incorporating best water management practices, such as using effluent water for your sports fields.

You also need to know how much water your turfgrass blend needs to withstand heavy foot traffic and wear and tear during game days.

Many sports field turfgrasses have exceptional drought tolerance and low water needs.

Indeed, you must also employ irrigation practices that improve water efficiency on your sports field. Using recycled water is one of the best water management practices available.

However, you must regularly test the soil and the effluent water to measure for high salt, sodium, bicarbonates, and heavy metals because your turf can’t tolerate high salt and sodium levels. Additionally, heavy metals could pose a problem for the players’ overall health.

Fortunately, the treated wastewater in your sports fields will not contain major pollutants. Any remaining pollutants will filter through the turfgrass and not reach groundwater. Recycled water quality varies from region to region.

STMA Institute of SportsField Management recommends that you manage your effluent water to monitor the soil conditions and the recycled water:

• Four times a year, you’ll need to test the water and soil twice yearly.
• If you rely on recycled water to irrigate your athletic field, you must be aware of excess sodium and salt building up in the soil.
• You may need more water than normal water sprinkler requirements to ensure that excess salt and sodium can leach below the turfgrass root level.

Summing Up: Reclaimed Water Keeps Public Spaces and Residential Properties Well-Irrigated

If you’re looking for a way to conserve water, effluent irrigation may be an option to explore. While reclaimed water has been mostly used on golf courses, it’s now used more widely, including in HOA golf communities, residential lawns and landscapes, and sports fields.

Recycled water shouldn’t be used on edibles in a garden or landscape but solely used where people won’t ingest non-potable water. Reused water also adds nitrogen and phosphorous to lawns, landscapes, median strips, and other green spaces.

How K-Rain’s Reclaimed Water Sprinklers Help You with Septic Sprinklers

If you’re a golf course superintendent, a property manager, an HOA board member, or any other organization maintaining green spaces, you need K-Rain’s sprinklers and indexing valves for efficient effluent irrigation.

Avoid heavy maintenance bills caused by inefficient sprinkler systems. Instead, K-Rain sprinkler products are engineered precisely for a lasting, efficient system, avoiding the need for excess maintenance.

Find a K-Rain Wholesale Distributor online. Contact customer service with your K-Rain RCW questions.

Sources:
Edis.IFAS.UFL.edu, Reclaimed Water Use In the Landscape: What’s In Reclaimed Water and Where Does It Go?
Ibid, Reclaimed Water Use in the Landscape: Frequently Asked Questions about Reclaimed Water.
EPA.gov, Basic Information about Water Reuse.
Ibid, Regulations and End-Use Specifications Explorer (REUSExplorer).
Extension.Missouri.edu, Nitrogen in the Plant.
Grow.IFA.coop, The Major Role of Phosphorus in Plant Growth and Productivity.
SepticTankPro.com, Aerobic Septic System Sprinkler—Explained.
STMA.org, Effective Water Use.
Ibid, Water Conservation Best Management Practices for Sports Facilities.