Golf courses: Loss of greens means loss for community
Swimming pools & car washes
Swimming pools and car washes are on everyone’s mind these days, it seems.
With the area under water restrictions due to declining levels of overall water supply in the midst of drought conditions, many residents are wondering two things: why car washes have been allowed to continue operating and if/when swimming pools will be opened for the summer season.
“These are the two most commonly-asked questions we’re getting lately,” said Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen. “A number of people appear to be calling on the City to close the car washes. At the same time, many want the pools to be opened. As with many things in municipal government, both issues are more complicated than they might appear on the surface.”
Take car washes, for example. As a business, car washes are not specifically addressed in the Water Shortage Ordinance approved by the City Council in March — but neither is any other business, Lauritsen said.
“The restrictions outlined in the Water Shortage Ordinance do not target specific types of businesses but are instead addressed generically using emergency water rates,” he said. “The more water an entity uses, the more costs will go up, which may impact customer pricing and ultimately lower demand and water consumption. The purpose of this is to encourage conservation by applying restrictions and to do so in the most equitable manner possible.”
Lauritsen said the move stems from lessons learned during the drought of 2001-02, when there was an effort to target businesses that presumably used more water than others.
“To close businesses rather than giving them an opportunity to curb usage or find other ways of operating is seen as causing, perhaps, undue damage to the livelihoods of the people employed by or depend on that business,” he said. “Increasing rates across the board to encourage conservation seemed a more equitable way to implement restrictions, and has, in fact, been shown to be a very effective way to ensure conservation.”
Lauritsen acknowledges, however, that despite efforts to implement the most equitable ordinance possible, there may be room for improvement.
“Unfortunately, the outdoor water restrictions do impact outdoor swimming pools more than a car wash,” Lauritsen said. “Keep in mind that outdoor pools will lose 10-20 percent of their water a month due to evaporation, which cannot be mitigated through limiting hours. Some entities will be impacted more than others, which is why we are continuing to evaluate the restrictions and conservation efforts to make this as equitable as possible.”
When it comes to whether the City-owned Sooner and Frontier pools will open this year, that remains to be seen, Lauritsen said.
“This is something we’re monitoring on a daily basis,” he said. “The Water Shortage Ordinance was written under the premise that pools would already have been opened for the season when the ordinance kicked in, so it would have closed the pools only in Stage 4 of the ordinance. We understand public sentiment favors the pools being opened, and certainly we can appreciate the reasons why. They provide opportunities for recreation, exercise and employment for our community, and it is for these reasons closure isn’t called for in earlier stages of the ordinance but rather in Stage 4, the last stage of water restrictions.”
Stage 4 of the ordinance kicks in when overall water supply levels drop below 50 percent, which is considered “critical.” The problem, Lauritsen said, is that opening the pools requires weeks of preparation, which is an increasing dilemma with supply levels continuing to drop and no measurable rainfall in sight.
“Right now, levels are at 56 percent, and they have only fallen since we entered Stage 1 of the ordinance in December 2022. They haven’t gone up at any point,” Lauritsen said. “If it doesn’t rain enough to replenish supply, we will be at critical levels by June. So even though we could fill the pools with levels where they are today, if it doesn’t rain and we enter critical levels in a month or less, how responsible would it be, in hindsight, for us to fill our swimming pools? Additionally, the costs associated with the chemicals and the staff needed to open and operate the pools would be wasted if levels continue to fall and mandate closure in less than a month. These are the questions we are weighing in trying to make the best decisions we can in an uncertain situation.”
Lauritsen asks citizens to keep in mind that this is the first time water restrictions have been enacted since the plan was adopted in 2002.
“We are monitoring the effectiveness of the restrictions and rate increases and anticipate adjustments may be likely in the future,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to preserve our overall water supply for as long as possible to ensure we have water to make it through a continuing drought.
“We understand these restrictions impact the entire community and that sacrifices are required of all of us to ensure that these measures are effective. We appreciate everyone’s assistance with these conservation efforts as we move through these challenging times.”
Golf courses
Another FAQ on social media these days is why the city’s local golf courses are allowed to continue watering.
There are two golf course in Bartlesville. One, Adams Golf Course, is owned by the City of Bartlesville, while the other, Hillcrest Country Club, is a privately-owned facility. Different circumstances apply to each.
Hillcrest County Club does not use City water to water their grounds. The club pumps that water directly from the Caney River, a procedure in which the City of Bartlesville has no involvement. This means the water used by Hillcrest County Club is not water intended for Bartlesville water customers and has no impact on the Bartlesville water system.
Adams Golf Course, which is owned and operated by the City of Bartlesville, is readying itself to do something similar, by recirculating pond water to keep the greens alive and the golf course open.
“We’re digging out the pond now and should be ready to switch over to that system very soon,” said Golf Pro Jerry Benedict.
Benedict points out that saving the greens — a $2 million taxpayer-funded asset — is important not only for the economic impact the course has on the City, but for what it means for the organizations that use the course to raise funds for important community programs.
“If we lose the greens, we lose the golf course,” Benedict said. “And that would not only be a waste of taxpayer dollars and a loss of the economic impact the course provides by bringing players to Bartlesville, but it would severely limit many of our non-profit organizations who count on the fund raisers held at the golf course that keep their doors open and provide services to our citizens.”
Benedict said the annual United Way tournament, for instance, raises roughly $1 million every year. This year’s tournament is set for Sept. 12.
“The United Way tournament brings a thousand players and 300 volunteers to our community — people who stay in our hotels and eat at our restaurants,” Benedict said. “Other organizations raise another $1 million in addition to that. These tournaments have more of an economic impact on our community than most people know.”
Benedict says no other portion of the golf course will be watered using City water during the drought. Golf course greens are a cool-season grass cut at .125ths of an inch that does not tolerate heat well and requires more water to survive.
“We use moisture sensors and other technology to measure how much water is needed to keep the greens alive and add only that amount,” Benedict said. “We are very careful not to use any more water than is absolutely necessary.”
Stay tuned to City Beat for updates to this story. Sign up at City Beat sign-up.