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Fixing pool leaks saves water, energy and money at Lake Mirage
In 2007, Lake Mirage created a long-term management plan to save water, energy and money. This plan included numerous tasks to upgrade the 26-year-old country club with the newest water- and energy-efficient equipment.
In January 2008, Lake Mirage began to record its water, electric and gas consumption on a monthly basis. With this new data Lake Mirage was able to compare equipment efficiency and month-to-month consumption.
Lake Committee Chair Bruce Dorn says the water usage data served as a good tool to find pool leaks and measure water savings after repairs.
"We fixed all the pool leaks and saved significantly," he says. "For example one pool was using 26 units of water per month. Now that we have repaired the leaks it only uses two units per month!" By repairing leaks on just one pool, Lake Mirage is now saving nearly 18,000 gallons of water each month.
In 2009, new energy efficient pool and spa pumps were also installed. Based on Lake Mirage's initial utility cost estimates, it recuperated its pool and spa pump investment after only one year. All pool and spa heaters were also replaced with energy-efficient heaters saving more than $12,000 on gas bills annually.
Lake Mirage also worked closely with landscape contractor FC Landscape, Inc. on irrigation and landscaping recommendations. Approximately 1,000 square feet of turf was removed from Lake Mirage's curbside on Country Club Drive and replaced with desert-friendly landscaping, decomposed granite, large boulders and cobblestones. In addition to the new landscaping, 19 smart controllers were installed through CVWD's Water Wise Landscape Rebates & Discounts.
Bruce says the country club has seen a significant water savings since the landscape conversion, irrigation system renovation and pool leak repairs. "We are now trending about a 25 percent savings in just water alone," he says.
Board President Bob Rose says the renovation project was no easy task and could not have been accomplished by the HOA alone. "This has been a combined effort between the Board of Directors, the Lake Committee, the Long Range Planning Committee, the Landscape Committee and our Landscape Contractor," he says.