Abstract
Chile is an agricultural power, but also one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and water shortage. About 50% of the irrigated agriculture land in Chile is in the central zone, thanks to its agricultural-climatic characteristics that provide an adequate water supply (100–4000 m3/s). However, the vulnerability scenario in this zone is high due to the seasonal availability of water resources. Therefore, opportunities to use non-conventional alternative sources (e.g., wastewater) become an appealing and feasible option due to the high population and animal density (>76%) in this part of the country. Moreover, the physicochemical characteristics of the municipal and livestock wastewater suggest that there are potential opportunities to recycle nutrients for agricultural production. In Chile, wastewater reuse opportunities are noted by the wide coverage of wastewater treatment programs, with municipal and intensified livestock production taking up most of the percentage (>99%). Nevertheless, more than 70% of wastewater treatment systems reach biological secondary treatment, which suggests reuse possibilities only for non-food crops. Therefore, this paper is focused on a preliminary analysis of the potential of reusing and recycling municipal and livestock wastewater for Chilean agriculture. There is some reuse work occurring in Chile, specifically in the use of municipal and livestock wastewater for cereal crops (animal feed), forests, and grasslands. However, aspects related to the long-term effects of these practices have not yet been evaluated. Therefore, municipal and livestock wastewater in Chile could be re-valued in agriculture, but the current quality and condition of treated wastewater do not ensure its safe use in food crops. In addition, state policies are needed to provide sustainability (circular and ethic economy) to water reusing/recycling in agriculture.
Highlights
Irrigated agriculture contributes to 33% of world agricultural production, using 25% of the agricultural land, and consuming 65% of available freshwater [1,2,3]
The availability of water resources for irrigation in Chile varies highly due to geography and seasonal factors
On the other hand, reclaimed livestock wastewater from intensive facilities up to 0.34 m3 /s concentrated mainly in the central zone could be an alternative source of water recycling in agriculture
Summary
Irrigated agriculture contributes to 33% of world agricultural production, using 25% of the agricultural land, and consuming 65% (ca. 2989 km3 /year) of available freshwater [1,2,3]. Chile maintains its irrigated agricultural production in the central zone for internal consumption and exportation, which is based on fruit trees and cereal crops. This area presents a strong seasonality, as precipitation occurs during wet-cold winters (May to August), while during the agricultural season precipitation is less than 15% of mean annual values. The geographical of Chilean productive activities, the unequal temporal wastewater and spatial spatial distribution of concentration water resources, as well as the coverage of municipal and industrial distribution of water resources, as well as the coverage of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment are key factors for revaluating their potential in irrigation.
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