Group: Sustainable Agriculture
Wastewater use beyond landscaping
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Started by Romulus Okwany on
15 Feb 2012 at 14:31
Post-doctoral Research Associate, Washington State University
Know-how: Sustainable Agriculture, Drainage, Irrigation Design
The use of wastewater for landsacping is widespread and been well accepted in most places with the infrastructure. Its adoption in food crop agriculture is a little lagging despite the amble availability of tjis water resource and especially in view of the high treatment quality (before discharge) of this water that makes it quite feasible in quantity and quality especially if used with subsurface and drip systems. Could this be the next frontier of irrigation water resource in the developed countries?
Thanks Greg for your clarification. There has been significant research and development of such crops as canola and switchgrass for biofuel in the midwest and northwest USA. Given the use of these products not as food crops but for energy sources could such household wastewater be used? I am yet to get any research looking at the effect of plant retained heavy metals on biofuel processing.
The quality of waste water for irrigation depends on the type of waste water you are talking about. Raw frac and mining waste water may contain harmful levels of hazardous substances and metals, which often adhere to the surface of plants or are consumed by the plants (heavy metals are frequently consumed by plants and retained in their fatty tissues).
Household waste water should not be from toilets. Only in rural areas, where septic tanks are used, would the water possibly be clarified enough and have low enough CFU's to be usable for irrigation.
Lastly, in the western US, water rights laws still forbid recycling household water. Only recently have private homes been allowed to collect and use rainwater.