Arizona ski resort to cover mountains in wastewater snow

Ski resort Snowbowl in Flagstaff, Arizona, will become the first in the world to use 100 percent sewage water to make artificial snow in order to enable skiing between the months of November and April. The New York Times recently reported that Snowbowl would become "the first ski resort in the world to use 100 percent sewage effluent to make artificial snow." The land where the ski resort is located is owned by the United States Forest Service, which has attested to the safety of the manufactured snow. According to the group, the treated water, which is already used on golf courses and soccer fields, meets the highest standards, being only just below drinking water quality. The ski resort has claimed that better snow will bring more clients, benefitting the entire community. However, the innovative idea has been criticized by environmental groups that worry about the impact of the artificial snow on human health. Native American tribes, who regard the land on which the ski resort is located as sacred, are also opposed to the plan. In August 2011, after the resort had entered an agreement with the city to purchase 1.5 million gallons per day of wastewater from a local plant, the Arizona's Hopi Tribe filed a lawsuit on behalf of 13 different tribes, stopping the wastewater snow from being used in the 2011-2012 season. But the battle seems to be over, as in February a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the ski resort's plans allowing Snowboll to start using wastewater snow this season, scheduled to open in November and run until April. In recent years the winters in Arizona and the US have been warmer and shorter, producing a smaller quantity of snow and shorter skiing seasons. According to the Denver Post, due to weather conditions, the numbers of skiers plummeted to 51 million during the 2011-2012 season, the lowest number since 1991-92. The weakest snowfall in 20 years fueled a 15.7 percent decline from the previous year's record 60.5 million visits. Other methods for manmade snow include Snowmaking, the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a snow cannon onto the ski slopes. This is widely used in ski resorts to improve the reliability of the snow. Another possibility is dry ski slopes: artificial slopes that mimic snow using plastic bristles, as used in England and the Netherlands where natural ski slopes are not available.