The use of dedicated, bunded beds of reeds to filter and cleanse waste water is by no means a newly emerging technology. Such systems have been tried and tested for more than 20 years however it is only recently, with the tightening of legislation including the gradual introduction of the Water Framework Directive, that there has been a specific need for golf clubs to address waste water issues.
STRI’s Ecology and Environment provide have produced bespoke designs for reedbed systems at various sites throughout the UK and Western Europe.
Caldy Golf Club on the Wirral constructed a reedbed water filtration system back in 2006, to a specification produced by STRI. The beds at Caldy were constructed ‘in-house’ (an option that many clubs choose to take) and formed part of a closed loop system whereby water is fed into the reedbed from the washdown pad, cleansed by the reeds, and then discharged to a water tank, ready for re-use. In conjunction with this the club set up a rainwater harvesting system for maintenance facility roofs to further bolster their sustainable water supply.
Carl Crocher, course manager at Caldy, summed up the result of the project perfectly, stating “what we have is a marsh/reed habitat that can be used by various species, in a site that was little more than a dumping ground in years past. We also have an area to safely clean our machinery, which meets current legislation and has been passed by our local Environment Agency Officer as fit for purpose”.
The typical cost of a reedbed system, including both design and construction elements is roughly one third that of a mechanical facility, making this type of system an extremely cost effective, and therefore very attractive, proposition. Carl went on to state “the whole project has created interest and stimulated debate amongst our members, we are seen to have saved the Club money”.
Other than cleaning the washpad, emptying/cleaning the grass trap, and an annual trim of the reeds, reedbeds require no further maintenance and as such, running costs are essentially zero.
Of course the reedbed has the added benefit of its wildlife value and this is something that has not gone unnoticed at Caldy. Carl states [the area is] “much nicer to look at than before, it brings wildlife in that wouldn’t have been here but for the reedbed”. The reeds themselves provide a habitat for bird species and a wide variety of insects, but in addition to this, within the design, planting regimes are prescribed for the surrounds of the bed that further increases the wildlife and visual appeal of the system.
For more information on reedbed water filtration systems please contact STRI’s Ecology and Environment Unit on 01274 518903.
