Sun City West reports lower golf-course water use; Echo Mesa project set to start in April

Todd (last name not specified), environmental services manager for Sun City West, told residents the recreation district used 3,859 acre-feet of water for its seven golf courses in 2024 and remained under its conservation allotment.

“That equals out to be about 5.4 acre feet per golf course,” Todd said, adding that 12 consecutive years have been under the management-plan allotments beginning in 2013. He cited unusually hot, dry weather in 2024 — including record high temperatures and just 3.4 inches of rain — and credited turf‑reduction projects for keeping use under allotments.

Todd highlighted the Grand View turf-removal project, which removed about 45 acres in 2023, and said the Echo Mesa and Pebblebrook projects will remove additional turf: Echo Mesa will remove 18 acres and Pebblebrook is scheduled for 2029. He said the district started a fifth management plan with a reduction of 34 acre-feet beginning Jan. 1.

Staff also reported operational water savings from replacing irrigation systems. Todd said peak-season irrigation run times fell from about 10–11 hours under the old system to 7–8 hours with the new system, lowering electricity and pumping demand. He reported a 7% decrease in well-pump energy use and a 34% decrease in distribution-station energy use after the irrigation upgrade; staff presented that latter figure as “3434%” in slides but clarified the operational savings in remarks.

Todd detailed shoreline hardscaping at Trail Ridge (shoreline on lake No. 3) and said staff has completed shoreline repairs on 22 of the district’s 41 lakes, estimating those repairs save roughly 30 acre-feet per year by reducing seepage. He outlined the Echo Mesa schedule: a pump-station installation planned for Feb. 11, a public forum on Feb. 14 at 1:00 p.m., and a construction start date of April 7.