WEDC Technical Brief No. 37: Re-use of wastewater

In many arid and semi-arid countries, wastewater is becoming an increasingly important source of irrigation water. The demands of growing urban communities for both food and water require the agricultural sector not only to increase food production but also to reduce its use of natural water resources. At the same time the volume of sewage effluent is increasing, and safe disposal can be difficult. The use of reclaimed wastewater for irrigation is the obvious solution, but few people have expertise in the full range of technology involved.

This Technical Brief considers situations where it may be appropriate to re-use wastewaster for agriculture and introduces the different types of wastewater re-use scheme. It also provides a recommended guide to water quality for irrigation, and outlines, using diagrams, the necessary procedures for treating wastewater.