Photo by Glenn Steplock. Via town.richmond-hill.on.ca

The Town of Richmond Hill, Ontario has received an $85,300 Green Municipal Fund grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to test a specialized water recirculation system at Crosby Park. The town has determined this system is more cost-efficient to operate. As a result, the recirculation system is being implemented in two upcoming projects and may be implemented in the town’s other water play facilities.

Crosby Park features a unique water play area that operates on a water-conserving, water-supply recirculation system. Last spring the town conducted a field test to assess the benefits and risks of the water recirculation system compared to a conventional system. The field test found that this new system has reduced water consumption by approximately 15,200 cubic meters per year.

Overall the recirculating water play was found to cost $196,885 more in capital costs. However, when the operating costs such as water, electricity and pool chemicals are considered, the re-circulating water play cost $22,000 less per year to operate and would have a simple payback of just under nine years.

“We believe this project could help us further protect our environment and maximize our use of limited resources, in this case, water,” said Richmond Hill mayor Dave Barrow. “We also hope that our success in this project will encourage other municipalities and organizations to adopt this unique approach to water conservation.”

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