SeaScape water recycling initiative draws praise
COVENTRY (May 24, 2018) —Lawn care experts don’t usually celebrate when it rains, but the leaders at SeaScape Lawn Care could not be happier about spring showers. As part of an effort to maintain its Sustainable Lawn Care Certification from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), SeaScape has made significant headway in implementing a water recycling system for its Turf Program that has been praised by the government agency.
Jim Wilkinson, president of SeaScape, said the ‘wash water recycling’ system has saved the lawn care firm roughly 270,000 gallons of water in 2017 alone. While the cost of implementing the system was significant, Wilkinson said his main concern has always been reducing the risk of groundwater pollution.
“We are all concerned about minimizing the use of water and making sure water supplies stay clean, but our most pressing concern has always been doing what we can to prevent any groundwater contamination. While we are astounded that we have saved so much water and reduced our costs, it is a side benefit to the larger picture,” said Wilkinson, who holds a doctorate in horticulture from Michigan State University.
The process of recycling water starts when trucks are being washed and filled. Through the use of a sloped concrete pad, the system collects water and associated pest control products and fertilizer into a trench that is then filtered. Once the water is clean, SeaScape stores the water and uses it for the next day of operation. Water is also collected through rainfall in the same way. In fact, Wilkinson notes that 1 inch of rainfall allows SeaScape to collect 7,000 gallons of water that can be used for the next 2 to 3 business days.
Besides lauding SeaScape’s water conservation initiative, the RIDEM also commended SeaScape’s effort to minimize the use of pesticides across lawns and its encouragement of the use of more efficient, coated fertilizer, that has helped SeaScape reduce its use of nitrogen fertilizer by as much as 25 percent. Statistics from RIDEM show that SeaScape’s initiatives have helped the firm reduce its carbon footprint by 24.4 metric tons.
When RIDEM took into account SeaScape’s water recycling savings and reduction in carbon dioxide, the agency estimates the firm saved around $26,701.
Wilkinson says consumers will see several benefits from SeaScape’s certification. “By using SeaScape, consumers can rest assured knowing that we are continually striving to provide our customers with lawn care services they can be proud of which will also improve the value of their home,” Wilkinson said. “Eventually, our environmental safety improvements will trickle into other savings for our customers.”
About SeaScape Lawn Care
Located in Coventry, R.I., SeaScape has provided lawn, tree and landscape services since 1992. Beginning first as a lawn care company, SeaScape has expanded its services to include tree and shrub care, full-service tree work, pest control, and Christmas lighting. SeaScape provides services all over Rhode Island, southeast Massachusetts, and eastern Connecticut.
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