Ski resorts on the East Coast are nervous and stressed. They should be bustling with activity, greeting skiers and holiday vacationers alike. But this winter has been unseasonably warm and warm winters are bad for resorts that depend on snowy slopes. Some resorts are still closed even as the new year approaches. For years, ski resorts have been employing technology to make the snow they need to do business. The artificial snow is made using ground water or water drawn from a natural water source like a river or lake. The water is then pumped through a snow maker and blown onto the course to build the perfect slopes. Just how much water does that take? Well depending on the weather and location of the resort, it could take anywhere from 3 million to more than 35 million gallons of water for a resort to stay snowy. Each snow machine uses about 50 gallons of water a minute! But even artificial snow is hard to come by on the drought-ridden west coast. Water usage restrictions and less naturally developing snow have forced resorts to get creative with making snow. And if the temperatures don’t fall to freezing, even artificial snow machines won’t help the struggling ski-based tourism industry.
But out of adversity comes great innovation. And because water is such a limited resource, I was excited to learn that resorts are looking to reclaimed wastewater as a solution to their lack of snow. (No, that doesn’t mean it’s yellow snow!)
Current wastewater treatment technology is so advanced that it can churn out water that looks and tastes like tap water and is safe to drink. There’s definitely an ick factor to consider, but then again it is all just water. The water we have is all we’ll EVER have so expanding reuse and recycling of wastewater is key when considering the resource needs of future generations. Areas impacted by the recent drought have learned firsthand that innovation and reuse of wastewater are the keys to blending our high quality of life with resource management.
Now let’s all do a snow dance to bring freezing temperatures and precipitation to the East Coast skiing destinations — but let’s keep it out of Hampton Roads. I’ll take a winter in flip-flops any day!