Letter of Inquiry Assignment

Writing for Business & the Professions

2500 words minimum (including References), single-spaced plus a References page in APA style.

The Letter of Inquiry is an exercise in persuasive writing. Writing in the form of a business letter, 1) address a prospective funder/sponsor to which you will describe a specific need or opportunity, 2) describe the relevance of that need or opportunity to your potential funder/sponsor, 3) discuss the research youve undertaken, 4) give some provisional information on your recommended course of action (including some information on anticipated costs), and 5) close with an invitation to give an in-person oral presentation.

The idea is to make a convincing case for the following: 1) that the funder/sponsor should act on this need or opportunity, 2) that you have undertaken the necessary work to become an expert on the need or opportunity, and 3) that the plan of action that youre developing eclipses all alternatives.

Requirements:

• Your letter must include a References page of at least eight sources cited to in the body of the letter, and at least half of those sources should be scholarly;
• Adhere to the appropriate format and style of business correspondence as discussed in class;
• Document the need or opportunity and give relevant data, including data gathered from surveys and interviews when necessary; and
• Give a rationale for the plan of action that responds to your description of, and data on, the need or opportunity youre engaging.
• Provide a rough estimate of a reasonable budget for the recommended plan of action.

References

Bunds, K. S. (2017). Water and sports facilities: Usage, issues, and solutions. In Routledge handbook of sport and the environment (pp. 351-361). Routledge.

Burszta-Adamiak, E., & Spychalski, P. (2021). Water savings and reduction of costs through the use of a dual water supply system in a sports facility. Sustainable Cities and Society, 66, 102620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102620

Carla Pimentel-Rodrigues, & Armando Silva-Afonso. (2022). Rainwater Harvesting for Irrigation of Tennis Courts: A Case Study. Water (Basel), 14(5), Article 752. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14050752

Kesgin, E., & Gezici, K. (2025). Innovative water management strategies for sports fields: A practical approach to sustainability. Environmental Research and Technology, 8(4), 928-940.

Outline from AI that should be followed:

Julianna Corbett 75 Middle Road Matawan, New Jersey 07747

March 4, 2026

Mrs. Meg Stevens, President Arizona Athletic Grounds 6321 S Ellsworth Road Mesa, Arizona 85212

Re: RWHS & Dual Water Supply System Implementation

Dear Mrs. Stevens,

Introduction: Stewardship in the Heart of the Desert

Arizona Athletic Grounds (AAG) stands as a premier destination for youth and professional sports, yet its location in the American Southwest places it at the epicenter of one of the most significant environmental challenges of our time. Humanity is currently operating outside the Earths finite capacity to sustain life-supporting conditions, and the sport industry is increasingly recognized as a sector that must transition from being a massive consumer of resources to a leader in sustainable urban development. As the President of AAG, you have the opportunity to transform this facility into a global model of “Smart Water City” integration. I am writing to propose a comprehensive infrastructure project: the implementation of an Integrated Rainwater Harvesting System (RWHS) and a Dual Water Supply System.

This initiative goes beyond symbolic “greening”the initial steps of being environmentally responsibleto achieve true sustainability, which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. By adopting these technologies, AAG can mitigate the “environmental cost” of its operationsthe deterioration of natural resources due to economic activityand establish a “Triple Bottom Line” that prioritizes people, planet, and profit.

The Critical Need: Quantifying the Southwest Water Crisis

The urgency for this project is driven by the fact that roughly 97.5 percent of the worlds water is non-potable salt water, and current projections suggest 1.8 billion people will experience clean water crises by 2025. Arizona, in particular, is witnessing the onset of a 50-year mega-drought. Despite these dire conditions, the sport industry remains a heavy consumer of potable municipal water for non-potable needs. To quantify this, a single NFL-sized football field requires approximately 36,000 gallons of water to apply just one inch of irrigation. For a multi-field complex like AAG, the weekly requirements can reach hundreds of thousands of liters solely for field health.

Currently, most facilities rely on municipal drinking watertreated to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Act requirementsto flush toilets and irrigate turf. Treating water to these high standards is energy-intensive and expensive, and using it for landscaping is a waste of money and resources, especially in drought-prone regions like Mesa. Traditional reliance on these “common pool resources” often leads to suboptimal outcomes and resource depletion when individual entities extract units without coordinated conservation strategies.

Relevance to Arizona Athletic Grounds

AAG is uniquely positioned to act as a community leader regarding sociopolitical and environmental issues. Implementing a Dual Water System serves three strategic functions for your organization:

1. Economic Resilience: By substituting non-potable water for irrigation and cleaning, AAG can reduce the cost of municipal water supply and sewage disposal by up to 40 percent.
2. Prestige and Branding: Sustainability is “on the precipice of becoming a mainstream issue” in sports. Leading this movement enhances brand equity and attracts sponsors looking for “good fit” partnerships with socially responsible entities.
3. Public Trust: As sport facilities often rely on public infrastructure and community support, they have a civic obligation to act as stewards of scarce resources.

Exhaustive Research: The State of Sport-Environmental Sustainability (Sport-ES)

To prepare this proposal, I have conducted an extensive review of “Sport-ES” literature. My research indicates that the field has moved from an “embryonic” to a “primary” stage, with a 311 percent increase in scholarly publications between 2009 and 2015. However, critical gaps remain; most research focuses on “inside-out” perspectiveshow organizations impact naturerather than “outside-in” perspectiveshow natures constraints must change organizational logic. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research on “Environmental Operational Countermeasures” and “Input/Output Measurements”.

This proposal fills those gaps by adopting a “pracademic” approachbridging academic theory and practitioner implementation. I have incorporated the principle of “phronesis,” defined as a reasoned state of capacity to act regarding what is good or bad for humanity. By analyzing the success of existing “green monsters,” we can avoid the “purposeful ambiguity” and “greenwashing” that often plague organizational communications.

Success Models: Levis Stadium and Pinehurst No. 2

Our provisional plan is modeled after the most successful implementations in the industry:

• Levis Stadium (California): This was the first newly constructed NFL stadium to achieve LEED Gold certification. It uses 85 percent recycled water for flushing toilets and field irrigation, saving an estimated 42 million gallons of freshwater annually.
• Pinehurst No. 2 (North Carolina): During its $11 million restoration, the facility reduced its irrigated area from 85 acres to 45 acres and cut irrigation heads from 1,100 to 450 by reintroducing native, drought-resistant vegetation.
• European Stadiums: The Wroclaw City Stadium in Poland and MHP Arena in Germany have demonstrated that rainwater harvesting can meet approximately 50 to 66 percent of a facility’s annual water demand, resulting in significant financial gains.

Recommended Course of Action: The Dual Water Infrastructure

The proposed plan for AAG involves the installation of a Dual Water Systemtwo separate, underground, piped water networks. One system conveys high-quality potable water for drinking and food preparation, while the second conveys treated, non-potable water for everything else.

1. Rainwater Harvesting System (RWHS) We will utilize the vast roof surfaces of AAGs buildings and pavilions as catchment areas. Rainwater is significantly cleaner than industrial or domestic wastewater and requires minimal processing for reuse. The system will include:

• Catchment and Conveyance: Gutters and downspouts to direct runoff.
• Storage: Underground high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cisterns or tanks to minimize surface footprint and evaporation.
• Treatment: Fine screens and strainers to remove particulates, followed by disinfection for microorganisms to ensure safety in urban areas.

2. Greywater Recycling and Field Infiltration Recovery AAG can capture wastewater from showers, sinks, and lavatoriesexcluding toilet waterwhich typically has a high volume but low pollution load. Additionally, we will implement a system to capture “naturally filtered” irrigation water that seeps through the field surfaces and into drainage pipes. This water will undergo physical filtration and chemical treatment (coagulation) to make it suitable for re-irrigation.

Policy Tool: Achieving the Date of Ecological Maturity (DEM)

This project eclipses alternatives because it uses the “Date of Ecological Maturity” (DEM) as its primary metric. Traditional “green” buildings can sometimes accelerate obsolescence by encouraging the demolition of older buildings, which increases the total strain on the environment. A project is only truly sustainable if, at a specific point in the future (the DEM), the total throughputs (matter and energy) of the new system are lower than the cumulative throughputs of maintaining the current, less efficient system. Our plan aims for an early DEM by minimizing construction throughputs and maximizing long-term operating efficiency.

Organizational Capacity and Stakeholder Engagement

According to the Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP) framework, pro-environmental change requires the alignment of aspirations, strategy, and culture. AAG has the organizational capacity to lead this shift. By partnering with local vendors, engineers, and construction companies, we can build a local “circular economy”. Furthermore, by engaging fans through digital sustainability graphics and “fan awareness” campaigns, we can influence the micro-behaviors of thousands of spectators, turning the stadium into an informal educational setting.

Provisional Budget and Economic Rationale

The total estimated budget for this implementation is $3.8 million. This estimate is reasonable when compared to similar projects, such as the $2 million set aside for LEED features at Target Field or the $11 million restoration at Pinehurst.

The financial rationale is based on three returns on investment:

1. Direct Private Return: Payback through reduced municipal water bills and sewage fees, with expected savings of 33 to 41 percent annually.
2. Indirect Private Return: Enhanced “brand equity” and the ability to attract new sponsors who seek to align with “good environmental work”.
3. Risk Mitigation: Protecting AAG against future state-mandated water restrictions and the rising costs of potable water.

Conclusion and Invitation for Oral Presentation

The “Environmental Review” of a sports facility often places it in a “green spotlight,” forcing careful consideration of every message sent to the public. We are confident that this Dual Water System represents an authentic, technically superior path that avoids the “smoke and mirrors” of symbolic accountability.

I would welcome the opportunity to give an in-person oral presentation to you and the AAG leadership team. During this presentation, I can share technical specifications for our treatment modules, our comprehensive data monitoring plan to track throughputs, and our strategy for making AAG the definitive model for steady-state sport in Arizona.

Sincerely,

Julianna Corbett Sustainability Consultant

you must use in text citations based on this outline and from the sources I provided. I have also included who the letter of inquiry is intended for; I will provide a link for information about the athletic complex so it can be used. https://azgrounds.com/