Drainage Reuse Research Articles

Methodology of recycling of drainage and waste water in Kazakhstan

The article discusses the issues of reuse of drainage and waste water in the middle reaches of the Syrdarya River. According to the results of the research, it was revealed that the salt balance of the soils of cotton and corn fields in the aeration zone (0-2 m) has different indicators. In the irrigation variant with drainage water up to 6.0 g/l, the soil was saturated by the end of the growing season with salts in the amount of 26.4 t/ha under cotton crops and 63.8 t/ha under corn, when irrigated with river water, a favorable salt regime was observed, i.e., salts were removed to the underlying horizons or drainage from the upper layer in the amount of 81.3 t/ha under cotton and 42.6 t/ha under corn. For desalination of drainage and waste water, crushed natural saline plants (Glycyrrhiza glabra, Alhagi, and others) and a 20 % concentration of glauconite clay or phosphogypsum, which are diluted with drainage and waste water, are used in the complex. The resulting reclamation complex allows reducing the mineralization of drainage and waste water to standard indicators.

Changes of Plant Growth and Nutrient Concentrations of the Drainage According to Drainage Reuse and Substrate Type in Sweet Pepper Hydroponics

Changes of Plant Growth and Nutrient Concentrations of the Drainage According to Drainage Reuse and Substrate Type in Sweet Pepper Hydroponics

Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Coal Mine Drainage Water Quality in China

Coal mine drainage (CMD) reuse is an important method for optimizing water resource supply in arid/semi-arid regions. This study analyzed the spatial distribution of water quality, management, and utilization strategies for CMD in China. In northwest, northeast, and north China, CMD was characterized by high levels of suspended solids, high salinity, neutral/weakly alkaline pH, and low levels of Fe/Mn. Based on existing water treatment processes, mine water reuse is safe and can support local water supply in these areas. In southern China, especially the southwestern regions, the CMD was characterized by low pH, high salinity, and high levels of Fe/Mn. These areas face high costs associated with mine water reuse and ecological and environmental risks. Therefore, the prevention and control of water pollution should be the focus of mine water management in these areas. To maximize the utilization of CMD, improving the norms and standards for mine water utilization is necessary, policy support for CMD reuse should be fortified, and a complete chain of coal mine water utilization should be developed. This study provides a reference for implementing water environmental protection strategies and mine water reuse policies.

Variation in Pathogenic Organisms as Affected by Using Hydroponic Nutrient Wastewater in Horticultural Facilities

Among the horticulture facilities in Korea, the hydroponic cultivation method has been increasingly used. This study aimed to identify fungi and bacterial species in hydroponic cultivation and highlight the need for sterilization to recycle the discharged drainage. Samples were collected from a number of paprika, tomato, and strawberry hydroponic greenhouses. Vinyl and glass greenhouses were studied, and the drainage discharge was of two types: direct discharge and collection after discharge. In total, 24 fungal and six bacterial species were detected from 399 and 151 densities, respectively. The primary fungal and bacterial species identified were from the genera Fusarium, Pythium, and Phytophthora as well as Agrobacterium and Pseudomonas. Statistical analysis revealed that the species number and density of fungi and bacteria were higher in strawberry than in tomato or paprika. These values were higher for vinyl greenhouses than for glass greenhouses. This study on the reuse of drainage from hydroponic greenhouses may contribute to the recycling of resources and reduction in water pollutant emission; this will thus help us to implement sustainable horticulture practices.

АНАЛИЗ ЗАРУБЕЖНОГО ОПЫТА УТИЛИЗАЦИИ СБРОСНЫХ И ДРЕНАЖНЫХ ВОД В ОРОСИТЕЛЬНЫХ МЕЛИОРАЦИЯХ

Purpose: to review the practice of using drainage and waste water for irrigating agricul-tural crops as a priority for their utilization. Discussions. One of the priority strategies for sustainable management of available water resources is the reuse of drainage and waste water for irrigation reclamation, taking into account the hydrogeological and reclamation conditions of the area. The reducing of the degradation rate of water supply sources subject to the impact of drainage and waste water, is possible only with the creation of a system for regulating water distribution in irrigation systems of various levels, which would allow taking into account the resource of drainage and waste water for irrigation. Most often, drainage and waste water is used for irrigating salt-tolerant crops. The use of drai-nage and waste water with salinity from 1.5 to 10.0 g/dm³ for irrigating grain and fodder crops did not cause a reduction in yield. Conclusions. As the analysis of drainage and waste water utilization shows, their wide-spread use in irrigation reclamation is explained by the increased mineralization and technogenic impurities (pesticides, herbicides, trace elements, oil products, etc.). The measures taken to dilute such waters with fresh water from canals only partially solved the problem of their accumulation and reduction of discharges into water bodies. Also, there was still an increase in the irrigation water consumption for irrigating crops. In this regard, it is relevant to conduct exploratory research in the field of technologies preparation and purification of drainage and waste water for irrigation purposes.

Assessment of water resources system in Qena governorate, Upper Egypt under different hydrological and agronomic conditions

Abstract This paper assessed the current water resources system and two future scenarios in the Qena Governorate by developing a Water Balance Model (WB Model) and Water Security Quality-based Index (WSQI). The first scenario presented 25% reduction in Nile flow, while the second scenario suggested adaptation measures to comply with flow reduction. The measures included leveling 100,000 feddans, serving 70,000 feddans with sprinkler irrigation, and lining 2,977 km of canals. The WB Model estimated WB components. The WSQI was a new index suitable for Egypt's conditions considering water quality. The water supply from High Aswan Dam (HAD) was predicted by the BlueM model for hydrological simulations of Nasser Lake. The study found that the current water shortage was fulfilled by drainage reuse and shallow groundwater, and the WQSI indicated a low water insecurity. The flow reduction increased the water shortage and reuse quantity. As a result, the WSQI indicated high water insecurity. The suggested measures improved agricultural water use efficiency from 51% to 63%, reduced water shortage, and improved the water insecurity level from high to medium. This study concluded that adaptation measures can improve the future water system and water security in the Qena Governorate. The study recommended upscaling WSQI use for the entire country.

Opportunities for Treatment and Reuse of Agricultural Drainage in the United States

Irrigation accounts for 42% of the total freshwater withdrawals in the United States. Climate change, the pressure of a growing population, degrading water quality, and increased competition from other sectors could constrain continuous supply to meet future agricultural water demand. This study presents an evaluation framework to assess the potential reuse of agricultural drainage water for crop irrigation. Using a regional approach, we review the current state of agricultural drainage treatment and reuse and the institutional, economic, and other barriers that can influence the reuse decision. In the 31 eastern states, agricultural drainage contains valuable nutrients that can be reused for irrigation with minimal treatment, while the 17 western states struggle with large volumes of saline drainage that can contain constituents of concern (e.g., selenium), preventing reuse without treatment. Using a new decision-support tool called WaterTAP3, a potential treatment train for saline agricultural drainage was analyzed to identify treatment challenges, research needs, and the potential implementation at a larger scale. As demonstrated by our case study, desalination of agricultural drainage is costly and energy intensive and will require sizable investments to fully develop and optimize technologies as well as manage the generated waste and brine.

Engineering biosorptional construction for drainage water treatment

Drainage waters pollute water bodies and the environment, however, they can be considered as alternative water resources for agriculture. Now, there is an acute shortage of water resources in the Republic of Kalmykia, and therefore the existing areas are partially used. The solution to the problem may be the technology of reuse of drainage and waste water from the Sarpinskaya watering and irrigation system. For the subsequent use of this water for irrigation, water treatment and purification is required. One of the options for improving the ecological situation is the creation of a biosorption structure (BSS), the principle of which is to mobilize the natural capabilities of self-purification of ecosystems of water bodies, which allows in the future to reuse drainage and waste water for irrigation.

Comparative Behavior of Dracaena marginata Plants Integrated into a Cascade Cropping System with the Addition of Hydrogen Peroxide

The reuse of crop drainage into other crops, in the form of a cascade cropping system, is a feasible environmental solution where high inputs of water and fertilizer are used for crop growth and lower efficiency rates, associated with a high discharge of water and fertilizers into the environment, are present. Dracaena marginata plants were cultured in containers with sphagnum peat moss and were subjected to three different fertigation treatments for eight weeks: Dm0 (standard nutrient solution or control treatment), Dm1 (raw leachates), and Dm2 (raw leachates with additional H2O2), where the leachates were collected from a Chrysalidocarpus lutescens-Dracaena deremensis cascade cropping system. At the end of the harvesting, growth parameters, pigment concentration, leaf and root proline, total soluble sugar concentrations, and water and nutrient use efficiencies were assessed for each fertigation treatment. Plant height, root, stem, and total dry weight increased under fertigation with leachates with H2O2. The fertigation with leachates with or without H2O2 increased the red index value. There were no clear trends between the fertigation treatments with regards to pigment concentrations and biochemical parameters (proline and total soluble sugar concentrations). The addition of H2O2 to the leachate increased N concentration in the organs assessed, as well as the water and nutrient use efficiencies. There were no variations in H2PO4−, SO42−, Na+, and Mg2+ concentration in the chemical composition of the substrate between fertigation treatments. The positive results reported in this experiment suggest the potential growth of Dracaena marginata with leachate and hydrogen peroxide in a cascade cropping system.

Policy-Driven Sustainable Saline Drainage Disposal and Forage Production in the Western San Joaquin Valley of California

Environmental policies to address water quality impairments in the San Joaquin River of California have focused on the reduction of salinity and selenium-contaminated subsurface agricultural drainage loads from westside sources. On 31 December 2019, all of the agricultural drainage from a 44,000 ha subarea on the western side of the San Joaquin River basin was curtailed. This policy requires the on-site disposal of all of the agricultural drainage water in perpetuity, except during flooding events, when emergency drainage to the River is sanctioned. The reuse of this saline agricultural drainage water to irrigate forage crops, such as ‘Jose’ tall wheatgrass and alfalfa, in a 2428 ha reuse facility provides an economic return on this pollutant disposal option. Irrigation with brackish water requires careful management to prevent salt accumulation in the crop root zone, which can impact forage yields. The objective of this study was to optimize the sustainability of this reuse facility by maximizing the evaporation potential while achieving cost recovery. This was achieved by assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of the root zone salinity in selected fields of ‘Jose’ tall wheatgrass and alfalfa in the drainage reuse facility, some of which have been irrigated with brackish subsurface drainage water for over fifteen years. Electromagnetic soil surveys using an EM-38 instrument were used to measure the spatial variability of the salinity in the soil profile. The tall wheatgrass fields were irrigated with higher salinity water (1.2–9.3 dS m−1) compared to the fields of alfalfa (0.5–6.5 dS m−1). Correspondingly, the soil salinity in the tall wheatgrass fields was higher (12.5 dS m−1–19.3 dS m−1) compared to the alfalfa fields (8.97 dS m−1–14.4 dS m−1) for the years 2016 and 2017. Better leaching of salts was observed in the fields with a subsurface drainage system installed (13–1 and 13–2). The depth-averaged root zone salinity data sets are being used for the calibration of the transient hydro-salinity computer model CSUID-ID (a one-dimensional version of the Colorado State University Irrigation Drainage Model). This user-friendly decision support tool currently provides a useful framework for the data collection needed to make credible, field-scale salinity budgets. In time, it will provide guidance for appropriate leaching requirements and potential blending decisions for sustainable forage production. This paper shows the tie between environmental drainage policy and the role of local governance in the development of sustainable irrigation practices, and how well-directed collaborative field research can guide future resource management.

Drainage water salinity and quality across nested scales in the Nile Delta of Egypt.

Improving water management depends on understanding the functioning of irrigation and drainage systems across different environmental scales. For this purpose, this study in the Nile Delta of Egypt particularly examines the spatial and temporal variation of drainage water salinity from the system to the plot level. A better understanding of this variation across nested scales is crucial to refine the government's drainage reuse strategy and reduce the adverse effects on agricultural productivity, lagoon ecology, and human health. The study investigates the drainage system of the Meet Yazid study area (82,740ha) located in the upper central part of the Nile Delta. The parameters measured were electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and temperature. Results showed that salinity and quality of drainage water in the Nile Delta vary highly with space and time. The secondary drains exhibited the highest variability of salinity compared with main drains and subsurface drainage collectors because they accumulate salts from deeper soil layers and seepage of saline groundwater at the time of low flow discharge. In secondary drains, the salinity increased up to four times that of drainage water coming from the collectors. Moreover, DO values were most of the time not meeting standards for reuse in irrigation, especially at main drains that collect not only agricultural drainage but also untreated household sewage water.

Integrated water resource management in Sharkia Governorate, East Nile Delta using numerical evaluation of water management strategies

It is commonly acknowledged that providing a safe water supply for all countries is one of the major challenges of the twenty-first century. Egypt, the gift of the Nile is facing big water deficit problem because of the limited water resources and increasing demands as a result of high population growth and development in industrial and agricultural sectors. As agriculture sector is the main water consumer sector, Numerical simulation modeling was conducted for East Nile Delta region (Sharkia governorate) using WEAP (water evaluation and planning system) program as a case study especially the area between Bahr Mowais and Ismailia Canal. Applying different scenarios to predict the future water demands and the future deficit in this region. The results indicated that the main affected parameter is drainage reuse which inversely proportions with water shortage value. So, applying new strategies in water management is essential to reduce water deficit and control water resources with demands to overcome the problem of limited resources with increasing population and development and industrial projects. Egypt share Nile water with other 10 African countries in the Nile basin, water management should take place to achieve the best water manage with justice water distribution for all basin countries.

Watershed Management, A Tool for Sustainable Safe Reuse Practice, Case Study: El-Salam Canal

In Egypt, drainage and irrigation network receives a complex mixture of industrial and domestic effluent. Therefore, water quality was subjected to rapid deterioration over the past decades. A need for using marginal quality water in agriculture for new expansion projects is becoming a great necessity. Good quality water is no longer available for new irrigation projects. One strategy to increase available water resources is to reuse agriculture drainage water for irrigation. Surface water of low quality along with limitation of current water resources was found to be the largest current environmental threat to the drainage reuse practice in Egypt. The detrimental effects of drainage water reuse can be minimized by adopting appropriate pollution sources management. Although domestic diffuse sources represent very small portion of the total discharge in drains, they contribute to a high percentage of organic load to the water system. Lack of investment and time required to execute proper wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), become a constrain impeding the improvement in surface water quality. The proper water quality management system along with good planning for constructing, upgrading and upscaling of WWTPs within a certain watershed can positively improve the water quality at the mixing point with fresh water for reuse. In this study, a practical management tool based on watershed as one of the primer water system unit has been introduced. The tool works under GIS environment to help water managers and planners concerned in irrigation system to incorporate the reuse of drainage water to set best prioritization scenario of WWTPs implementation, upgrading or upscaling within the sub-watershed of El-Serw and Bahr-Hadous drains that feed El-Salam canal. The study is based on analyzing the transport and decay of pollutants expressed as BOD load through network analysis of drains network within El-Salam canal watershed as a case study. Keywords: Water quality management, Watershed, Drainage water reuse, GIS, Point source pollution (PSP), BOD. DOI : 10.7176/CER/11-4-06 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

ECONOMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FOR RE-USE OF AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE WATER IRRIGATION OF AGRICULTURE ABSTRACT FOR A SAMPLE OF FARMERS IN GIZA GOVERNORATE

The study aimed to study the economic and environmental effects of the re-use of agricultural drainage water. The study found that despite the decline in net revenues, for the productivity and economic crops studied, it should be noted that the re-use of water resources, in general, and water drainage in particular. The study indicates that the intensification of the use of water and bring Egypt's largest hydro unit returns while experiencing Egypt where shortages water resources and their limitations. In spite of the economic benefits of re-use of agricultural drainage water, but there are a number of negative impacts on agricultural and human environment due to the use of this water in agriculture, which requires him to improve water quality and further chemical analyzes to mitigate these effects, as well as work on activating the role of Agricultural Extension agricultural cooperation to increase awareness by methods dealing with irrigation water and avoid risks resulting from it.

Crop and Irrigation Management Systems under Greenhouse Conditions

Plants of Ruscus aculeatus, known as “butcher’s broom”, Maytenus senegalensis, known as “confetti tree”, and Juncus acutus, known as “spiny rush” were grown in pots with a mixture of sphagnum peat-moss and Perlite in order to determine the effect and evolution over time of three water use systems on plant growth, water saving and nutrient uptake. These were an open system (irrigated with standard nutrient solution) and two closed systems (blended-water (drainage water blended with water of low electrical conductivity (EC)) and sequential reuse of drainage (sequential-reuse) water), over a period of 8 weeks. Irrigation with blended- and sequential-reuse-water increased the biomass of all three species at the end of the experiment, compared to the open system. Overall, sequential-reuse-water treatment maximised biomass production. The application of blended- and sequential-reuse-water allowed savings of 17% of water in comparison to the open system. Regarding Cl, NO3− and H2PO4− loads, there was a removal of 5%, 32% and 32%; respectively in the blended-water treatment and 15%, 17% and 17% in the sequential-reuse water treatment compared to the open system. For the cation loads (Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) in these water treatments there was a removal of 10%, 32%, 7% and 18% respectively in the blended-water treatment, and 17%, 22%, 17% and 18% respectively in the sequential-reuse treatment, compared to the open system.

ENHANCING ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY RICE SYSTEMS

Ways to increase the environmental safety of rice irrigation systems based on reuse of drainage water were considered.

Water management in Egypt for facing the future challenges

The current water shortage in Egypt is 13.5 Billion cubic meter per year (BCM/yr) and is expected to continuously increase. Currently, this water shortage is compensated by drainage reuse which consequently deteriorates the water quality. Therefore, this research was commenced with the objective of assessing different scenarios for 2025 using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model and by implementing different water sufficiency measures. Field data were assembled and analyzed, and different planning alternatives were proposed and tested in order to design three future scenarios. The findings indicated that water shortage in 2025 would be 26 BCM/yr in case of continuation of current policies. Planning alternatives were proposed to the irrigation canals, land irrigation timing, aquatic weeds in waterways and sugarcane areas in old agricultural lands. Other measures were suggested to pumping rates of deep groundwater, sprinkler and drip irrigation systems in new agricultural lands. Further measures were also suggested to automatic daily surveying for distribution leak and managing the pressure effectively in the domestic and industrial water distribution systems. Finally, extra measures for water supply were proposed including raising the permitted withdrawal limit from deep groundwater and the Nubian aquifer and developing the desalination resource. The proposed planning alternatives would completely eliminate the water shortage in 2025.

Science, policy, and management of irrigation-induced selenium contamination in california.

Selenium was recognized as an important aquatic contaminant following the identification of widespread deformities in waterfowl at the agricultural drainage evaporation ponds of the Kesterson Reservoir (California) in 1983. Since then, California has been the focal point for global research and management of Se contamination. We analyzed the history and current developments in science, policy, and management of irrigation-induced Se contamination in California. In terms of management, we evaluated the effects of improvements in the design of local attenuation methods (drainage reuse and evaporation ponds) in conjunction with the development of programs for Se load reductions at the regional scale (namely the Grassland Bypass Project). In terms of policy, the USEPA is currently working on site-specific water quality criteria for the San Francisco Bay Delta that may be a landmark for future legislation on Se in natural water bodies. We provide a critical analysis of this approach and discuss challenges and opportunities in expanding it to other locations such as the Salton Sea. Management lessons learned in California and the novel policy approach may help prevent future events of Se contamination.

Basin efficiency approach and its effect on streamflow quality, Zerafshan River Uzbekistan

Summary Understanding the spatial–temporal patterns of water quality parameters and apportioning the sources of water pollution are important for water management. Within the Zerafshan basin a basin efficiency approach is practiced. Here water quality data for a 30 year period are presented and analysed according to spatial distribution utilising box plots and cluster analysis. The results show quality declines in its middle and lower reaches due to return flows from intensively irrigated agricultural region as well as a “Hot spot” with organic and nutrient pollution due to return flows from industrial effluent and municipal wastewater. Comparison between upstream and downstream sites shows an increase of salinity and COD concentrations as well as a more sulphate-rich and chloride-rich composition of the downstream waters. The application of box plots, the Seasonal Mann–Kendall Test and the Mann–Kendall Trend in combination show a moderate increase in river water quality due to the reduction of industrial discharges after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, during this period chloride has a strong decreasing trend which is connected to increased reuse of drainage and return waters. Overall the lower Zerafshan can be described as a collector for water pollutants causing water quality problems for local water supply. The outcomes support the more general debate on Zerafshan water quality with reliable and more detailed information and provide information on water quality issues for the inclusion in the basin efficiency discussions.

Evapotranspiration potential of forages irrigated with saline-sodic drainage water

Abstract In the western San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California, re-use of saline-sodic drainage water (DW) for the irrigation of salt tolerant forages and field crops is an important strategy for drainage water reduction and to extend irrigation water supplies. Drainage reuse designs require estimates of crop water use under saline conditions, so this study employed two methods to estimate the actual evapotranspiration (ET a ) of saline-irrigated forages. Using sand-filled drainage lysimeters, ET was measured for ‘Jose’ tall wheatgrass (TWG; Thinopyrum ponticum var. ‘Jose’) creeping wildrye (CWR; Leymus triticoides , var. ‘Rio’) and Paspalum ( Paspalum vaginatum , var. ‘SeaIsle’) irrigated with saline DW with an electrical conductivity (EC) averaging 13.2 dS m −1 . Annual ET in 2005 (20 January to 28 December) was 1470 mm for TWG, 1376 mm for CWR, and 1275 mm for Paspalum. Comparing to standardized reference evapotranspiration (ET o ), the annual (ET a /ET o ) lys ratios in 2005 were 0.98 for TWG, 0.92 for CWR, and 0.85 for Paspalum. Forage ET was also estimated by a surface renewal (SR) method in large pastures of TWG and CWR irrigated with saline DW. For TWG, the seasonal (ET a /ET o ) SR in 2005 was 0.94, slightly lower than the ratio of 0.98 determined by lysimetry. For CWR, the seasonal (ET a /ET o ) SR was only 0.73 in 2005; however, in 2006 it was 1.03 which was closer to the ratio of 0.92 determined by lysimetry in 2005. Conditions were less uniform in the CWR pasture as compared to the TWG pasture which may have caused the greater variability in (ET a /ET o ) SR for this forage. These findings, along with earlier work, demonstrate that tall wheatgrass, creeping wildrye and Paspalum are suitable candidates for DW re-use systems for the western SJV due to their high ET under saline irrigation and adequate dry matter production and forage quality.