Another direct savings to a golf course is a reduction in the cost of applying today's expensive and sophisticated fertilizers and other compounds. The percolation and loss of these additives to ground water takes them out of reach from turfgrass. The Rain Trap Sustem preservers a highly significant percentage of their original application and the "blooming" action of this technique makes these compounds again accessible to the grass. Since the quanity of the fertilizer and other compounds applied to a golf course can be reduced when the Rain Trap System is used, the result is a benefit to groundwater. The mitigation requirements which all courses face are then much easier to meet with a Rain Trap System installed.
Scrap tires have been used successfully in civil engineering applications for many years, either as whole tires or after shredding or chopping. Scrap tires are proven to be benign in the environment, yet people naturally ask whether scrap tires leach compounds that may adversly affect the environment. Several studies, (Rubber Manufacturers Association, State of Wisconsin), have been conducted to investigate these questions.
Using the EPA's Toxicity Characterization Leaching Procedure (TCLP), the results indicate that none of the tire products tested exceeds proposed TCLP regulatory levels. Most compounds detected are found at tarce levels, (near method detection limits), from 10 to 100 times less than TCLP Regulatory Limits and U.S. EPA Drinking Water Standard MCL values.
Recently, the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (DER) released its final report on tire leachability in potential usage environments. The study, which evaluates the leachability of shredded tires in different aquatic enviroments, finds that scrap tires pose no harmful effects when used in applications that are above the water table.
Tires are not only safe to the environment, but in a Rain Trap System, they protect the environment. Because the tires trap water they also trap and reuse the fertilizers and other additives which are applied to turfgrass. This reuse allows lighter applications and temporary storage so the compounds can further break down. The next substantial rainfall will flush out the tires and the cycle repeats itself.