Water saving plans also on tap for new Petrus Park

North Hempstead, NY – North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board announced that the Town is using a wide variety of water conservation methods to cut down on water consumption at the Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington. In addition, the Town will be allotting funds in the 2017 capital plan to construct a second holding reservoir at the golf course, which will drastically reducing the amount of water that needs to be purchased.

These initiatives align with the recently announced ‘Save 15’ initiative, presented by the Port Washington Water District which the Town has pledged to support. The program aims to reduce water usage throughout the district, both residential and commercial, by 15 percent during irrigation season.

The 450-acre Harbor Links Golf Course features an 18-hole Championship Course, and a 9-hole Executive Course, as well as four athletic fields. Changes that have already been initiated include:

• Using digital moisture meters on greens to monitor when it needs water rather than just watering whether it needs it or not.
• Using “wetting agents” when watering, which helps the turf retain moisture.
• Converting some of the “rough” areas of the course into native planting areas that do not require irrigation.
• Targeting sprinklers more efficiently to use less water and to only water the sections of the golf course that need it.
• Hand-watering any “hot spot” sections of the course during the day, rather than using the sprinkler system.

“Conserving water on a golf course can be challenging, especially during the hot summer months,” Supervisor Bosworth said. “However, we are confident that with this wide range of water conservation methods we can make a significant cut in the amount of water used at Harbor Links every year, while retaining the beauty of the course for residents to enjoy.”

To further work toward that goal, the Town has designed smart irrigation for the new Alvan Petrus Park in Port Washington. This system will only irrigate a few areas of the park and landscape the remaining areas using low moisture dependent plants. The proposed irrigation system will use rain gauge sensors and will feature pervious asphalt pavement on the trails to infiltrate storm water onsite.

For more information on the Town’s water conservation efforts, and how you can play a role in saving water at your own home, call 311 or visit www.northhempsteadny.gov.

Harbor Links Golf Course