Golf courses around the world must end their reliance on piped town water supplies for irrigation, according to Australian architect George Diakogeorgiou.

Diakogeorgiou, speaking at the World Forum of Golf Architects in St Andrews, said that eight per cent of the water applied to Australian courses came from town water, and that this must be ended as quickly as possible. “Golf architects need to encourage the use of treated effluent and stormwater and must design to harvest as much water for reuse as possible,” he said. Desalination and effluent treatment plants will increase in importance, he argued, showing figures that suggest desalination can produce irrigation water at a cost of between A$65-A$150 per megalitre; Australian courses are typically charged A$135 per megalitre for town water.

John Neylan, general manager of the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association added that disposal of the saline sludge that is the byproduct of desalination and reverse osmosis plants is key. “There is the potential for an environmental disaster here,” he said.