Dodger Stadium, the oldest Major League Baseball (MLB) venue on the US west coast, is using new technology to conserve water and combat drought.
According to landscape manager Chaz Perea, the stadium is doing something no other Major League ballpark has done before –using water that is pulled out of the air, using a new device called Skywell.
“We want to go out of the box,” Perea said. “We want to try new stuff. We want to get out of our comfort zone and learn.”
The Skywell unit is an enhanced de-humidifier that sucks air in and extracts the moisture. One unit can generate as much as 100 gallons of purified water in one day. The Skywell plugs into a standard electrical outlet. An interactive touch-screen displays water temperature and volume. Moisture is then collected and purified, using a multi-filter process.
“We can use it for watering planting beds and trees, and some of the things we have around in our landscaping,” said senior vice president of stadium operations Steve Ethier.
Dodger Stadium has also reduced its water usage through use of new electronic sensors, buried throughout the field, that measure moisture and temperature, resulting in cutting back on sprinkler times. Through landscaping with mulch and drought-tolerant plants, and by water with drip-systems around the ball park, stadium officials say they have lowered irrigation run times by an estimated 75%. Additionally, crews have stopped washing the stadium with pressure hoses after home games, and are now doing more sweeping and mopping.
June 12, 2015
