RETURNS TO MUNICIPALITIES FROM INTEGRATING CROP PRODUCTION WITH WASTE-WATER DISPOSAL

Land application of wastewater provides an alternative for wastewater deposition which can be both environmentally sound and economically vi able. Effluent from the wastewater system of the city of Lubbock, Texa s, USA was used for crop irrigation as a study case. A dynamic optimiz ation model was developed to determine the optimal cropping system tha t would utilize all the effluent supplied, remove all hazardous materi als from the effluent, and maximize crop net revenues. The results ind icate that the optimal crop composition contains alfalfa, wheat-corn, wheat-grain sorghum, and cotton. The study also reveals that increases of cropland area and effluent volume could increase municipal revenue s.