Abstract
Wastewater reuse is a useful tool in minimizing the amount of wastewater in the environment. Therefore, evaluation of the suitability of Al-Rustamiyah WWTP municipal treated wastewater for irrigation was made according to its compo-sition and the international irrigation water quality standards. In addition, to classify water quality and to evaluate its suitability for irrigation purposes, Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP) and Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) were calculated following standard equations and found experimentally as (2.11), (35.67) and (–12.75) respectively. Plotting the values of conductivity (EC) and sodium absorption ratio (SAR) on the US salinity diagram illustrated that most of the samples fall in the field of C3-S1, indicating high salinity and low sodium water which can be used for irrigation on almost all types of soil without danger of exchangeable sodium. Furthermore, the data indicate slight to moderate degree of restriction on the use of this treated wastewater in irrigation due to chloride hazard. RSC value is negative at all sampling sites, indicating that there is no complete precipitation of calcium and magnesium. Overall, the treated wastewater can be classified with few exceptions as suitable for irrigation use.
Highlights
In many arid and semi-arid countries water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource and planners are forced to consider any sources of water which might be used economically and effectively to promote further development
Plotting the values of conductivity (EC) and sodium absorption ratio (SAR) on the US salinity diagram illustrated that most of the samples fall in the field of C3-S1, indicating high salinity and low sodium water which can be used for irrigation on almost all types of soil without danger of exchangeable sodium
Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) value is negative at all sampling sites, indicating that there is no complete precipitation of calcium and magnesium
Summary
In many arid and semi-arid countries water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource and planners are forced to consider any sources of water which might be used economically and effectively to promote further development. Wastewater is a valuable source of plant nutrients and organic matter [10] It may contain undesirable chemical constituents and pathogens that pose negative environmental and health impacts [11]. The use of treated wastewater in agriculture is one of the strategies adopted for increasing water supply in arid and semi arid countries [17,18]. Under the conditions of increased freshwater scarcity at Arabian countries like Saudi-Arabia [17], Kuwait [23,24] and Jordan [25,26], the reuse of wastewater in agriculture is receiving great attention and increased recognition as a potential water source. In view of these facts, the present study was undertaken to characterize the secondary treated wastewater produced from Al-Rustamiyah WWTP and to evaluate its suitability for irrigation purposes as non-conventional water resources
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