Living Near a Golf Course: How Chemicals Can Impact Your Home’s Water Supply
Living Near a Golf Course: How Chemicals Can Impact Your Home’s Water Supply
Golf courses require consistent, year-round care to maintain pristine looks and playing conditions. The landscaping and maintenance of the grass calls for a regular application of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers and a lot of water.
Even at more eco-conscious courses, the use of chemicals can be significant. For homeowners, this raises an important question — does living near a golf course cause an increased exposure to harmful pesticides and other chemicals, through drinking water or otherwise?
Research has shown that runoff, groundwater movement and airborne drift can impact water supplies, despite regulatory guidelines for golf course chemical use.
In this article, we’ll look at the possible impacts on water supplies near golf courses, and how you can protect your health with professional water testing and treatment.
How Golf Course Chemicals Reach Home Water Supplies
When pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals are applied to grass, they won’t just stay in one place. Rainfall, irrigation, the type of soil and local geology all influence the movement and spreading of these chemicals.
- Groundwater contamination: Rain and irrigation push chemicals into aquifers, especially impacting private wells
- Surface water runoff: Chemicals enter lakes, streams and rivers that may supply municipal water treatment plants
- Spray drift: Fine mist during pesticide application can travel through the air and settle on nearby soil, surface water, vegetation and homes
Types of Chemicals Commonly Used on Golf Courses
Golf course maintenance varies by the grass type, climate and region of the country or world. The most commonly used chemical to control weeds and help the grass look its best include:
- Herbicides, to control weeds
- Fungicides, to prevent mold and diseases
- Pesticides and insecticides, used to deter or kill insects
- Fertilizers, to improve grass growth, health, color and density
Almost all pesticides in the U.S., including herbicides, fungicides and insecticides, must be registered with the EPA for evaluation of their potential health and environmental risks. Fertilizers are regulated primarily at the state level, with an emphasis on environmental impacts and runoff control.
Paraquat, diquat and glyphosate are herbicides that have drawn significant negative national attention due to their toxicity and concerns over neurological impacts, such as increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Paraquat is a restricted-use pesticide due to its high toxicity, used primarily in agricultural settings and banned for turfgrass management on U.S. golf courses as of 2021. Diquat, like paraquat, is a non-selective herbicide used for weed control, subject to ongoing review but not currently banned.
Lastly, glyphosate is a widely used herbicide in the U.S. that is federally registered and regulated. It has fallen under public scrutiny due to possible associations with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other conditions. Research is ongoing, but the important thing for people is to monitor their exposure levels, types and duration to these types of chemicals.
When it comes to water, water testing and treatment, such as reverse osmosis purification, can provide crucial protection and peace of mind in your home.
Drinking Water Regulations for Golf Course Pesticides and Other Chemicals
There are a wide variety of chemicals used on golf courses. Below is a list of the most common ones, and their EPA-established Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) in drinking water. For a full list, refer to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (enforceable, health-based standards) and Secondary Drinking Water Standards (non-enforceable).
Contaminant levels in the chart below are shown in milligrams per liter (mg/L), with 1 mg/L equivalent to 1,000 parts per billion (ppb).
| Chemical | EPA Drinking Water Limits (Legally Enforceable) | Advocacy & Health-Based Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Glyphosate (herbicide) | 0.7 mg/L | 0.005 to 0.9 mg/L |
| Diquat (herbicide) | 0.02 mg/L | 0.006 mg/L |
| Atrazine (herbicide) | 0.003 mg/L | 0.0004 to 0.1 mg/L |
| Nitrate (as nitrogen) | 10 mg/L | 0.14 mg/L (Environmental Working Group) |
| Nitrite | 1 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Chlorothalonil (fungicide) | No federal MCL | 0.0002 to 0.0001 mg/L |
| Imidacloprid (insecticide) | No federal MCL | 0.000004 to 0.0001 mg/L |
Key: Health-based and advocacy guidelines are not legally enforceable in the United States, but represent a broader global picture of drinking water safety, goals and risk models. Sources for health-based limits include the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and World Health Organization (WHO). The European Union (EU) Drinking Water Directives also lists a general limit for all single pesticides at 0.0001 mg/L, and 0.0005 mg/L for total pesticides in water.
Parkinson’s and Potential Health Risks of Living Near Golf Courses
Long-term exposure to certain pesticides has been linked with neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease.
A large-scale 2024 epidemiological study published in JAMA Network examined whether living near golf courses is associated with higher rates of Parkinson’s.
This study looked at a total of 419 cases of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and over 5,000 individuals living in Minnesota and Wisconsin between 1991 and 2015, considering factors such as the distance to a golf course, homes with well water near golf courses, well depth, groundwater vulnerability and living in public water service areas that contain a golf course.
The results:
- Living within 1 to 3 miles of a golf course were associated with the greatest risk of PD
- Odds of developing PD were 126% higher in people who live within 1 mile of a golf course, versus 6+ miles away
- Homes on a public water supply that contains a golf course had 96% higher odds of PD versus those whose public water system didn’t contain a course
- Parkinson’s risks were 82% higher in areas with groundwater classified as vulnerable to contamination from golf course pesticides and chemicals
Access to clean drinking water provides a measurable benefit to your long-term health, no matter where you live. This study points to a significant association between Parkinson’s, household proximity to golf courses and the influence on water supplies. However, additional research is still needed to make definitive claims.
Additional Health Risks of Golf Course Chemicals
Beyond Parkinson’s, exposure to pesticides and related chemicals, in drinking water and more broadly, can negatively impact your health.
| Chemical | Possible Health Risks |
|---|---|
| Glyphosate (herbicide) | Liver and kidney effects at high levels; potentially carcinogenic |
| Diquat (herbicide) | Nervous system, kidney and liver disruption; gastrointestinal distress |
| Atrazine (herbicide) | Hormone disruption; reproductive and nervous system harm or changes |
| Nitrate (as nitrogen) | Methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) in infants; certain cancers with long-term exposure |
| Nitrite | Reduces oxygen transport in the blood; dangerous for infants |
| Chlorothalonil (fungicide) | Kidney toxicity in animal studies |
| Imidacloprid (insecticide) | Neurological effects, including tremors, confusion and dizziness at high levels |
Health effects from contamination vary by exposure level, type, duration and other factors not restricted to drinking water, including genetics and individual vulnerability. Sources: EWG Tap Water Standards; World Health Organization Drinking Water Guidelines.
How Homeowners Can Protect Their Water
If you live on or near a golf course and are concerned about your water quality, professional water testing and treatment can go a long way to safeguarding your health.
Installing water treatment at the point-of-use or whole-home level significantly reduces chemical contamination, while a water test can identify a broad range of contaminants beyond golf course chemicals, for the most comprehensive, custom solution to your water problems.
- Schedule Professional Water Testing: At Kinetico, we offer a free in-home, no obligation water analysis, as well as laboratory testing for pesticides, for a precise and science-based understanding of your water quality. Most at-home test kits aren’t designed to detect pesticides, providing only broad results.
- Reverse Osmosis Purification: RO systems such as the K5 Drinking Water Station® can remove up to 90 to 99.999% of dissolved metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including pesticides, PFAS, pharmaceuticals and more.
- Whole-Home Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Filtration: Chemical filtration and specialty systems can significantly reduce organic chemicals, pesticides, chlorine, chloramine and more, depending on the system setup.
When to Consider Professional Water Treatment
Don’t wait to get your water tested if you notice signs of chemical contamination, including a metallic, chemical or oily taste, a cloudy appearance or strange odors. Find an alternate drinking water source if you suspect your drinking water is making you sick or impacting your health.
Contact Kinetico® Advanced Water Systems to learn more about how we can help improve your water quality, for cleaner, purer water and protection against contamination. Get started today with a free water test.