Recycling and reuse of wastewater for irrigation in the Mediterranean region: Approaches, precautions and potentials

Recycled wastewater is a valuable resource in the water-limited economies o f the Mediterranean Basin. Increased demands from the domestic and industri al sectors in recent years cause the diversion of fresh water from the cust omary agricultural uses, while at the same time demand for quality food pro duction by irrigated agriculture increases. Reuse of water after their recl amation is an economically and environmentally desirable solution to resolv e these conflicting demands. Large-scale reuse of water for irrigation shou ld be done with full knowledge of potential difficulties, however. Careful treatment of the water and proper management of soils and crops is essentia l to ensure the long-term sustainability of irrigated agriculture based on reclaimed water. Major limitations and constraints on the reuse of reclaime d sewage water include the biological and chemical quality aspects. The rem oval of pathogenic entities is a primary and immediate requirement. The car eful monitoring and treatment of the chemical pollutants in reclaimed waste water is essential to maintain the long-term stability of the environment i n general, and the agricultural production system, in particular.