Issues with Agriculture
With a global average of 70% of all freshwater being directed to agricultural uses… agriculture is facing challenges in keeping up with growing demands and maintaining the safety of consumers and nature alike, making wastewater reuse in agriculture an increasingly important solution.
Agriculture is a difficult industry. Past events such as the invention of fertilizers and the dust bowl overshadow much of the reputation of farming practices. It is unpredictable and highly technical, and American farmers face unimaginable difficulties each year to keep up with accepted standards. To ensure yield and quality, extreme efforts must be taken: extensive use of water resources, intense fertilizer and pesticide use, and monoculture farming.
These common farming techniques result in an increasing risk of crops dying off, environmental poisoning, and drought. When these consequences pan out, bad farming is often defended with an even greater usage of water resources and sprays in an attempt to further defend a yield, creating a downward spiral effect where crop and soil treatment grows worse and worse each year.
Farmers use data and modern irrigation techniques, including wastewater reuse in agriculture, to optimize crop yield and conserve water.
Resolving Scarcity and Malpractice with Wastewater Reuse in Agriculture
Repeated damage continues to harm human and natural cycles, finding some relief from these impacts has long been overdue. This is where a new player enters the game, wastewater reuse in agriculture. The process takes sewage from industrial processes, filters it, and then employs it for secondary use for specific tasks such as:
- Construction
- Drilling
- Dust Abatement
- Irrigation
To the uninitiated this may sound just as risky as pesticide usage or excessive watering, but it is quite the contrary. Thanks to extensive government regulation on both the federal and state levels, the process is safe and well-tested. These regulations set requirements for the potency standards of the water and create rules for which crops may receive treated wastewater. In the state of Texas water can be reused under two different circumstances.
Type I is when the water is highly treated and practically potable, it can be used under almost any circumstance and water almost any crop.
Type II is treated to a lower quality but is still very safe for usage of crops grown for non-edible purposes (cotton, ethanol corn, animal feed, landscaping etc.) or crops where water will not come into direct contact with the edible portion of a plant (citruses, avocados, etc.).
The benefits of applying reused water to agriculture include:
- Reduced need for water imports
- Crops less affected by drought, equaling higher yields
- Reduced environmental pollution from improperly treated wastewater
- Reduced water-related costs
The innovation has existed for decades but is quickly being recognized now for its beneficial use cases. In fact, it is likely that a farm or site near you is employing water reuse to manage crops, the most popular form of reuse irrigation is actually for golf courses!
WaterFleet’s advanced wastewater treatment and reclaimer systems can be tailored to meet any irrigation need at any scale. We take pride in supplying wastewater treatment and irrigation solutions and uphold a strong belief that better treatment of wastewater is needed for our communities.
Contact us to discuss how water reuse can be incorporated into your industry.
Written by Raegan Kripal, Sustainability Intern