As one of the first legalized cannabis states to pave the way in this industry, the state of Colorado has established a legal cannabis market that runs smoothly and successfully today.
However, new information and reports suggest that cannabis cultivation operations within the state may have a huge environmental impact. More specifically, indoor cannabis cultivations are using a large amount of energy in all aspects of the cultivation process - even for water use and discharge.
Through regulation and compliance ordinances, this Rocky Mountains state has created a series of regulated rules and practices to incorporate into cannabis cultivation - whether for commercial licensed indoor or outdoor grows.
We’re breaking down everything there is to know about cannabis environmental compliance in Colorado, and how the state has evolved its cannabis sustainability mission.
Colorado’s Water Quality Regulations
According to Colorado's Department of Public Health & Environment, all licensed cannabis operators in the state of Colorado are required to appropriately maintain and regulate all water use and disposal of wastewater or discharge.
This includes the proper disposal or discharge and appropriate permitting for water quality, which is dependent on the type of cannabis cultivation operation occurring.
The CDPHE’s 2021 Cannabis Environmental and Best Management Practices Guide states the following,
“Accurate irrigation is essential to the growth of healthy plants and the overall performance of a cultivation facility. Inefficient water use not only wastes this precious resource, but also can harm the plant; cause facility damage by encouraging fungal growth; and create worker safety hazards and add extra load to the HVAC system, wasting energy. A variety of irrigation methods are used in today’s cannabis industry. Selecting both the right method for a given facility and following good operational practices for that method are equally important for achieving optimal efficiency and plant growth.”
Some options available for the discharge and disposal of wastewater in cannabis operations include:
Discharge to sanitary sewer line
Discharge to surface water
Discharge through impoundment or evaporation.
Discharge via pump, container, and haul to appropriate hazmat disposal facility
For these Colorado cultivators and operators, it’s crucial to keep in mind if wastewater is sent through a sanitary sewer system, the sewer provider needs to know the type of discharge coming from the grow facility to ensure that they can handle treating that contaminant.
Best Sustainable Practices for Colorado Cannabis Cultivation
When it comes to indoor cannabis cultivation facilities, Denver and surrounding municipalities rely on municipal water distribution systems for irrigation and operational discharge. The increasing demand of water use within these regions is a rising concern, considering the current drought and climate concerns in Colorado.
With that, specific points of this municipal process provide an environmental impact on the overall state. This includes the facility’s net consumption use, the process of water filtration and treatment, and discharge water quality.
According to the Denver Public Health & Environment Department, increased urban water use demands are reducing water availability to agricultural and cannabis operations. This further raises concerns about the impact on watersheds and municipal water resources available within the state.
Denver’s Public Health & Environment broke down key details that could influence the state of cannabis in Colorado with sustainability impacts of water quality and use within the state. These examples include:
Building Community Relations
By proactively integrating water efficacy techniques and water quality monitoring, a cannabis cultivation operation is able to demonstrate its dedicated efforts toward connecting municipal resources to community management for a more regulatory and sustainable framework.
Strong Environmental Impact
Approximately 5% of overall U.S. electricity use comes from water and wastewater utilities. This results in a significant amount of GHG emissions, and additionally, raises more regional water resource concerns. Loss of agriculture and biodiversity in rural areas due to lack of water resources and harmful discharging and disposal of wastewater causes more risk of gas emissions and damage to watersheds.
Low Economic Costs
By implementing efficient water practices and methods into indoor cannabis cultivation, facilities can experience lower operational costs by reducing the use of the resource. This results in a more positive impact for the environment and overall costs of the operation.
Geomat: Most Environmentally Friendly Operator in the Cannabis Industry
While recent studies and reports have suggested that consumptive water use and quality within the state of Colorado are correlated with indoor cannabis cultivation, it’s important to note that these concerns are not unique to the cannabis sector.
Each day, cities throughout this state are faced with the rising concern for the diminishing supply of this natural resource.
It will take the initiatives of the Colorado community, including cannabis cultivators, to do their part to conserve the watersheds and municipal resources impacting regions of Colorado.
For cannabis cultivators and operators, shifting to a more sustainable and efficient watering method or approach will help to make a real world impact on your environment and community.
By operating more sustainably and efficiently to meet these water quality and compliance regulations, you’re saving on costs associated with your company’s water utilities while helping to conserve the state’s overall water use.
Luckily, Geomat’s Patented Water Recovery Systems are designed to capture, collect, filter, recycle, and reuse all wastewater and water runoff created during indoor cannabis cultivation. By recycling this water for reuse in either our closed-loop system or connecting back into the sanitary sewerline, you can rely on Geomat to help your operation meet Colorado’s environmental compliance while proactively improving the water quality and quanity in the state.
Geomat recently won the 2022 Benzinga Cannabis Award for Most Environmentally Friendly Operator of the year! Ready for your cannabis facility to meet environmental compliance in your state? Schedule a call with us today.