Other Solutions for Water Overuse in Sports Stadiums
Designing a stadium with a blue roof, a roof that can store rainwater, can also improve the water use of a stadium. Gathering rainwater, filtering it, disinfecting it, and using it encourages reusing water and does not take away from the public city’s water system. The blue roof can also keep rainwater from going into the city’s sewer system which can help if a city is prone to combined sewer overflows.
Introducing “‘Green infrastructure – water quality management techniques like green roofs, tree planting, rain gardens, and permeable pavement – has been proven to help solve major urban stormwater problems and improve the health and livability of neighborhoods.’” Green roofs have also been found to “help to control runoff and runoff pollution, which was identified as a major way that cities receive drinking water.” Recycled water can be used for the green roofs, but also can be used for “playing field irrigation, watering the stadium’s green roof, refrigeration, cooling the stadium, and flushing toilets.” By promoting green infrastructure and using recycled water, a stadium could also benefit its community.
Many sports stadiums have already introduced initiatives to reduce their water consumption and other green initiatives. For example, the SoFi Stadium in California uses decorative lakes as a way to use filtered recycled water.
The lakes act as a mitigation for rainwater and are treated so the water can be used in other parts of the property like the greenery and landscaping surrounding the stadium. The use of recycled water saves approximately 26 million gallons of water per year.
Other stadiums and sports teams have taken an interest in introducing more green initiatives. The Diamondbacks at Chase Field introduced synthetic grass in their playing field for a 90 percent savings in their water consumption each season. At Target Field, an underground water collection, filtration, storage, and recycling system was installed. At Suncorp Stadium, the oversized roof is used as a blue roof to collect rainwater for reuse. “The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is known to collect up to 1.2 million gallons of rainwater each year, which covers about 47% of its non-drinking water needs.”
