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(from the December 2007edition of the ACA Magazine)

Toombul Croquet Club completed its Australian Government Water Grant Project in October. The $41,362 Project, the result of a Water Conservation Status Analysis by Power Horticultural Services, stores both harvested stormwater run-off from the four (4) courts and rainwater collected from the clubhouse roof in two (2) 25,000 litre water tanks. The additional installation of a moisture sensor and new sprinklers combine with the storage tanks to provide an efficient and effective watering system, saving the club both 1.2 – 2.4 mega litres of water a year and $1,200 to $2,400 (at current costs) of its annual budget.

Project Officer Carmel Donley said that Status Analysis System was prepared at a time when the Club, along with the rest of Brisbane, was experiencing Level IV water restrictions. “We noticed the storm-water spewing down the street’s gutters,” she said. “Rubble drains had originally been installed between the courts as a drainage system and, after heavy rain or storms, a submersible pump on Court One would drain it quickly in to the gutters. It seemed such a waste.”

Neil Power from Power Horticultural Services prepared the Analysis, which concluded that Toombul Club had no water conservation strategy in place, there was general lack of understanding of implementation of irrigation best practice, and, when a test run was made of the irrigation system, it displayed uneven coverage and poor distribution. The automatic irrigation design he presented as a solution took into account playing field stress / use recovery requirements, soil moisture levels and weather variations. It recommended retrofiting spray emitters to ensure complete overlap, installing moisture sensors coupled with a remote sensing automatic rain gauge, collecting roof run-off and stormwater harvest in collection tanks and providing pump pressured connection within the existing irrigation lines.

Mrs Donley said all clubs need to become pro-active in the long-term maintenance of their courts, especially now that water restrictions in South-East Queensland were now at Level VI. “Small Clubs, such as Toombul – we have 55 members – need financial assistance to achieve best practice,” she said. “They don’t have the money to do it themselves. So Grants are the only option. It may take time to collect the information for the grant application but it’s worth every minute spent if the grant is received. And keep on trying – we applied several times before we were successful.”

The Pine Rivers Croquet Club (Strathpine) also received an $8,000 grant recently from the Pine Rivers Shire Council for the installation of two 9,000 litre water tanks. The project was unique in that the club’s management committee arranged for one tank to collect water from the gutters of the industrial building bordering Joe Davis Park, connecting it through a pump to the second tank gathering water from the gutters of the small clubhouse and then equalising once filled.

Sprinklers on Court 1 being Test & Adjusted

Tank on Western End

	AN OLD CLUB DOING NEW THINGS WITH WATER IN QUEENSLAND
	(from the December 2007edition of the ACA Magazine) Toombul Croquet Club completed its Australian Government Water Grant Project in October. The $41,362 Project, the result of a Water Conservation Status Analysis by Power Horticultural Services, stores both harvested stormwater run-off from the four (4) courts and rainwater collected from the clubhouse roof in two (2) 25,000 litre water tanks. The additional installation of a moisture sensor and new sprinklers combine with the storage tanks to provide an efficient and effective watering system, saving the club both 1.2 – 2.4 mega litres of water a year and $1,200 to $2,400 (at current costs) of its annual budget. Project Officer Carmel Donley said that Status Analysis System was prepared at a time when the Club, along with the rest of Brisbane, was experiencing Level IV water restrictions. “We noticed the storm-water spewing down the street’s gutters,” she said. “Rubble drains had originally been installed between the courts as a drainage system and, after heavy rain or storms, a submersible pump on Court One would drain it quickly in to the gutters. It seemed such a waste.” Neil Power from Power Horticultural Services prepared the Analysis, which concluded that Toombul Club had no water conservation strategy in place, there was general lack of understanding of implementation of irrigation best practice, and, when a test run was made of the irrigation system, it displayed uneven coverage and poor distribution. The automatic irrigation design he presented as a solution took into account playing field stress / use recovery requirements, soil moisture levels and weather variations. It recommended retrofiting spray emitters to ensure complete overlap, installing moisture sensors coupled with a remote sensing automatic rain gauge, collecting roof run-off and stormwater harvest in collection tanks and providing pump pressured connection within the existing irrigation lines. Mrs Donley said all clubs need to become pro-active in the long-term maintenance of their courts, especially now that water restrictions in South-East Queensland were now at Level VI. “Small Clubs, such as Toombul – we have 55 members – need financial assistance to achieve best practice,” she said. “They don’t have the money to do it themselves. So Grants are the only option. It may take time to collect the information for the grant application but it’s worth every minute spent if the grant is received. And keep on trying – we applied several times before we were successful.” The Pine Rivers Croquet Club (Strathpine) also received an $8,000 grant recently from the Pine Rivers Shire Council for the installation of two 9,000 litre water tanks. The project was unique in that the club’s management committee arranged for one tank to collect water from the gutters of the industrial building bordering Joe Davis Park, connecting it through a pump to the second tank gathering water from the gutters of the small clubhouse and then equalising once filled. Sprinklers on Court 1 being Test & Adjusted Tank on Western End

AN OLD CLUB DOING NEW THINGS WITH WATER IN QUEENSLAND