Which is better for agriculture wastewater or natural water?

A question that comes to the mind of many people is sewage water or natural water that is better for agriculture. Read this article to know the benefits of using treated wastewater for agriculture.

Benefits of wastewater reuse in agriculture

Wastewater reuse is one of the non-traditional ways to irrigate crops, and there are many benefits, including the following:

Cost reduction

Wastewater recycling is less draining of money, as it helped save money over time. Since the groundwater is almost depleted, so the use of pumps to pump water has increased, and thus the pumps consume more money and energy.

Energy saving

Water and energy are interdependent as water is used to produce energy, and energy is needed to collect, clean, and distribute water. In addition, different uses of water require different levels of water quality. Water reuse and treatment save energy.

Collected locally

When water is recycled, communities suffering from arid regions will no longer need to import water. Farmers in some countries have been using recycled water to water lettuce, strawberries, grapes, and other crops for more than thirty years. Together they use 1.8 billion gallons of recycled water per hundred acres.

Reliable and dependable

With population inflation, wastewater increases. Therefore, water recycling allows for obtaining a stable and reliable water source to provide the population with a water source that does not depend on environmental factors or pumping restrictions.

Preserve the environment

Water reuse conserves resources and reduces pollution to water bodies. In Idaho City, 92% of the 6.5 gallons per day of recycled water is used by crops. Which helps keep 2,000 tons of nitrogen and 500 tons of phosphorus out of streams and rivers.

Is it better for agriculture wastewater or natural water?

Reuse of wastewater in agriculture Irrigation of crops with recycled water has been happening since ancient times, and many countries that use wastewater for irrigation and drinking water such as Australia, China, Greece, Kuwait, and many African countries. Recycled water needs high-precision treatment and therefore the degree of treatment is chosen according to the type of crops; Such as second, higher, or advanced treatment which produces water of higher quality.

There are very strict guidelines and regulations that are followed to ensure safety and maintain public health for all.

Extensive testing of water and soil must also be carried out.

Is wastewater reuse safe?

Recycled wastewater is safe as the Ministry of Water and Environment sets strict standards for water quality and public health purposes. These systems include rigorous microbiological and chemical testing. Years of testing and analysis have proven the safety of recycled water compared to other water sources.

Recycled wastewater is safe for humans and the environment as it is treated to meet end-use-based standards. Their quality can often be higher than that of conventional sources. Such as surface water, which is exposed to a variety of sources of pollution.

Treated wastewater outperforms natural sources Long-term use of recycled wastewater poses no health risks. Where studies have shown positive results confirming the safety of soil and plants. Rather, there were positive effects on plants irrigated with treated wastewater compared to crops of the same type irrigated with groundwater. Such as increasing its growth and improving its chemical composition.

No harmful bacteria such as Escherichia coli or salmonella were found in the soil and plants irrigated with treated wastewater. According to many microbial tests conducted on plants and soil. The heavy metals content was very low and within recommended international standards.

Numerous tests were conducted during these studies on samples of plants. Including date palms, figs, and cacti, some of which were irrigated with treated wastewater. While others were irrigated with natural groundwater. These tests showed that the concentration of all elements in the plants irrigated with treated wastewater was low, and remained within Safe and permissible limits.

The economic importance of maximizing the use of treated wastewater

• Increasing the economic return and national income as a result of the exploitation of wood trees in wood industries, fiber crops, or the production of biofuels.
• Increasing fish stocks as a result of raising the quality of treated water dumped into waterways.
• Irrigation of wooden trees with treated sewage water gives a high economic return compared to irrigation in areas irrigated with conventional water because of the nutrients and organic matter it contains that improve the fertility of agricultural soil.
• Improving the balance of payments and reducing inflation as a result of substituting imported wood for locally produced wood.
• Improving air quality, as experiments have shown that tree clustering in one acre of agricultural land absorbs 450 kg of carbon dioxide gas and releases 250 kg of oxygen per hour. In addition to reducing the speed of dust-laden air. Which leads to the precipitation of airborne pollutants, making the air clean.
• Combating desertification by cultivating desert lands.

Studies proving the quality of wastewater for irrigation of agricultural lands

A study conducted by a doctor from the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences revealed positive results confirming the safety of agricultural soil and seasonal plants from any health and environmental risks associated with the long-term use of wastewater.

The use of treated wastewater in agriculture comes due to undesirable climatic changes. The continuous increase in population and economic activities, whether agricultural or industrial. As well as the decrease in water quantities in many countries. All these factors will lead to a decrease in the per capita share of water.

Moreover, all these challenges represent obstacles on the path to development. In order to meet the increasing need for water, it was necessary to search for new sources of water. It has been proven that wastewater treatment and reuse in light of health and environmental requirements and controls is an important goal because it is one of the important non-traditional sources of water resources. As this water represents a wasted water wealth that must be properly exploited.

The study indicated that the chemical and physical analysis of the samples showed:

• A positive effect with higher plant growth.
• Improve yield quality and chemical composition in all plants irrigated with treated wastewater compared to the same crops irrigated
• with groundwater.
• Microbial tests also proved that there is no danger to the soil and plants irrigated with treated wastewater. As no harmful bacteria such as (Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus) were found.
• The study aimed to evaluate the effect of continuous use of treated wastewater on soil quality, seasonal plants (vegetables), and perennial plants (fruits).
• Verify the safety of this water in agricultural production and ensure that there is no concentration of heavy metals in the soil and target crops.

The researcher referred to the various samples that were put in the test, whether they were soil samples or various cultivated fruits and vegetables such as (tomatoes, melons, melons, beets, sunflowers, sweet corn, cucumbers, peppers, and carrots) irrigated with treated wastewater using a drip irrigation system. In the open fields at the Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences.

The researcher stated the most important conclusions of agricultural experiments over the course of 10 years. Is that the percentage of heavy metals was very low and within the recommended international standards. It showed that the concentration of all elements in the plants irrigated with treated wastewater is low and within the permissible limits.

Important elements that must be present in irrigation water

Zinc and manganese were also found in all soil samples, even those irrigated with fresh water. But it was lower than the recommended international limits. Whereas, fruit samples taken from date palms, lemons, mangoes, figs, Indian almonds, and cacti lack any of the elements As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, and Pb in all sites irrigated with fresh water and treated wastewater.

It is concluded that the treated wastewater was not the main source of heavy metals present in soil and plant samples. It likely originated from the original soil, fertilizer added, or other treatments applied over the years. Due to the presence of low concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn metals, and a high concentration of Se metal. This proves the convergence of concentrations of all elements in all measured fruits irrigated with fresh water and treated wastewater. Which if not managed well may lead to the accumulation of some heavy metals in the soil and cause biological pollution.