Moody reuses permeate water to irrigate base golf course

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Andrea Thacker
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (ACCNS) --  Moody Air Force Base has begun a conservation project that will save more than nine million gallons of water annually.

The Air Combat Command-funded pipeline will use permeate water, a byproduct of the process the base water treatment facility uses to make drinking water, to irrigate the golf course. The permeate water does not meet Environmental Protection Agency and Georgia Department of Health drinking water standards and is being flushed into the base storm drain system.

The new 1,000-foot permeate-water pipeline will transport approximately 25,000 gallons of permeate water a day from the water treatment plant across Bemiss Road, through the military housing area and end at the Quiet Pines Golf Course pond.

The pipeline construction project began early January and is expected to be completed by mid-March.

Although burying the waterline will require trenching and backfill operations through the construction area, the 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron is working to limit the impact on the base populace.

"The project will involve construction equipment working in the housing area during the daytime hours," said Mike Gruber, 23rd CES project manager. "Every effort is being made to make this construction project as non-intrusive as possible. The contractors are boring under the roads, so there should be no disruption to vehicular traffic."

Before the project, the golf course was irrigated by water that was pumped up from a ground well and stored in a pond near the golf course until it was used. With the new water line, the need for the well will be eliminated and allow the base to be environmentally friendly by reusing the water for the golf course.

"Using the permeate water, we expect to satisfy all irrigation needs for the golf course on a year-round basis," said Mr. Gruber. "Recycling the permeate water will be highly beneficial to the base because we will no longer be wasting water that is suitable to use in other ways."