Mirage keeps its course in tip-top shape without town water use

RECYCLED WATER

David Gardiner

Journalist

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Only recycled water, rainwater and bore water are used to keep Mirage Country Club’s world-rated golf course looking tip top, not drinking water. Picture: Supplied

Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas and its Mirage Country Club have assured both visitors and locals that none the water used on the highly-rated resort golf course comes from the same source as the Shire’s drinking water, which remains under Level 4 restrictions. 

Resort general manager Steve Molnar has told Newsport that occasionally, hotel guests ask if the sprinkler system that irrigates the 18-hole international championship course is environmentally friendly, to which the answer is always a resounding ‘yes’.

None of the water used on the Mirage golf course is ‘potable’ – or drinking – water from the town supply. 

Most of it is ‘grey water’, also called ‘non-potable’ or highly-treated wastewater – of which about 1.2 megalitres flows into Mirage steadily each day from the Shire’s sewerage treatment plants.

In the driest time of summer, usually November-December, the course’s 950 sprinklers, shoot out over the course’s 45.7-hectare area a total of about 2-2.1 megalitres, or 2.1-million litres of the non-potable water, per night.

They also rely on rainwater, and have a holding dam for that. 

If there’s not enough of the treated wastewater and rainwater in the drier times, the course also has access to bore water – but again, that’s not town drinking water.

“The bore only comes into play usually when our levels get down below 50 per cent,” Mirage Country Club’s grounds person Alex Ross said.

“We monitor the weather and if we believe that we’ve got rain coming, then we’ll usually hold off on that (bore water) even.”

The rain over recent days has certainly helped to keep the fairways and greens, green, and the dam topped up.