International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage Commission Interationale des Irrigation et du Drainage



Safe Use of Waste Water in Irrigation

While on a global scale only a small proportion of treated wastewater is used for agriculture, the practice is winning increased attention worldwide and in a few countries – Spainand Mexico, for example – ahigh proportion of reclaimed water is used in irrigation.

 

Farmers would also be able to avoid some of the costs of pumping groundwater, while the presence of nutrients in the wastewater would reduce their fertilizer expenses.Properly treated and safely recycled water can potentially offer a 'triple dividend' to urban users, farmers and the environment.

 

While building treatment and recycling systems that are capable of adequately handling wastewater does involve both capital investment up front and on-going operating costs, the major benefit of such schemes is likely to be the value of the fresh water freed up for high-value urban or industrial use – thiswould reduce the cost to municipal authorities of seeking additional supplies via more expensive means.

And costs could be further offset by harnessing biogas generated during intensive treatment as an energy source, or potentially through the sale of carbon credits.While re-using wastewater in agriculture is not the only way to tackle problems of scarcity and pollution, it is in many situations an extremely a cost-effective solution.

 

The feasibility of reusing water in agriculture depends on local circumstances and conditions, which will affect the balance of costs and benefits.Economic appraisal of any project should be made from a regional basin viewpoint, and it will also be necessary to factor the needs of and benefits to various water users.

Raw or untreated wastewater is inappropriate for use in irrigation – adequatetreatment and recycling is always required.

Related items you may like

Irrigation

Sources of Irrigation

Application of Irrigation water

Purpose of Irrigation

Instruments and implements of Irrigation

Irrigation Management

Irrigation and environment

Capacity Development

Dictionary - Safe Use of Waste Water in Irrigation Terms

Sign up for newsletter

Follow us