Water Efficiency Practices for Snowmaking

Most snow making water conservation efforts focus on efficient water-to-snow conversion and accurate snow placement, minimizing evaporative and runoff losses. The following management practices address effective snow application resulting in minimal water losses.

Efficient Snowmaking Practices

• Operate snow guns with air and water rates appropriate for slope location and environmental con-ditions such as temperature, wind direction, and slope topography. Producing snow without opti-mal air-to-water rates results in using more water to achieve the desired snow pack depth.
  
  
  • High relative air-to-water ratios produce small droplets that result in:
    - Dryer snow with a greater potential to be blown or skied off the slopes.
    - Greater evaporative water losses.
    
    
  • Low relative air-to-water ratios typically produce large droplets that:
    - Make wetter snow, which melts faster.
    - Fail to freeze.
    - Generate less desirable skiing conditions requiring additional surface snow production.
    
    
• Continuous monitoring of temperature, wind, and humidity enables operators to adjust snow guns for optimal performance. Computerized monitoring and control systems are available that check environmental conditions and adjust snow gun air/water ratios to optimize the snow-making process.
  
  
• Utilize snow additives, designed to induce snow formation, that raise water’s wet bulb nucleation temperature from 16o-17o F to 26o-27o F. They potentially achieve 20 percent-80 percent more snow production with the same water quantity and less air.
  
  
• Use high pressure, low flow snow guns.

Snow Pack Management Practices

• Limit snow making to times when temperature and wind conditions result in efficient droplet for-mation and minimal drifting.
  
  
• Groom slopes by effectively utilizing the existing snow and eliminate the need to make new snow.
  
  
• Design narrow trails in wind-prone areas to maximize wind protection from trees.

Snowmaking System Designs
Incorporate quality, conservation-minded engineering designs in the snowmaking system. The following practices address the water savings associated with effective snowmaking system designs.

• Consider installing a computerized control system that monitors environmental conditions and regulates snow gun applications.
  
  
• Install return flow/drain back lines instead of end line valves to prevent pipe freezing. Eliminate all dead end bleeder valves. Efficient pressure control limits the need to run water for freeze control.
  
  
• Collect runoff in downslope holding ponds.
  
  
• Employ a routine leak detection program.
  
  
• Consider reusing water from other sources (gray water, wastewater treatment plant effluent) for snowmaking. Apply water reuse practices wherever and whenever possible. Federal and state agencies regulate “used” water or treatment plant effluent use. Obtain the appropriate permits be-fore applying reuse techniques.

For Additional Information
Please contact the Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau at (603) 271-2513 or dwgbinfo@des.nh.gov or visit our website at www.des.nh.gov/dwgb. All of the bureau’s fact sheets are on-line at www.des.nh.gov/dwg.htm.

NHDES Water Conservation Program, www.des.nh.gov/h2o_conservation.htm

Reference:
_____, MRI Water Conservation Technical Bulletin #13, Water Conservation Best Management Practices for Snow Making; New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, Wilmington, MA; 1996.

Note: This fact sheet is accurate as of October 2007. Statutory or regulatory changes, or the availability of additional information after this date may render this information inaccurate or incomplete.