Use of wastewater-points to ponder

Developed countries with surplus funds regard wastewater treatment as vital to protect human health, environment and prevent the pollution of surface water bodies such as lakes and rivers. But for most developing countries, this solution presents insurmountable problems and is prohibitively expensive. Under these conditions, applying wastewater to agricultural lands is a more lucrative/economical alternative as it provides a reliable source of water for agriculture. Water does not lose its utility after one/two use(s) and has the potential of recycling for few activities that don’t require good quality water. Thus, use of wastewater in agriculture is a low cost method to dispose of municipal wastewaters compared to its land disposal or disposal in lakes/rivers/sea. In the Indian context many of its rivers have already turned into drains during season other than monsoon. The positive and negative effects of wastewater irrigation are summarized below.

If the negative issues could be appropriately addressed then many of the reservations for wastewater use could be countered.

Millions of farmers around the globe irrigate with wastewaters either because they have no other source or it is cheap source of their livelihood. Critics however, aver that irrigation with untreated wastewater can represent a major threat to public health (of both humans and livestock), food safety, and environmental quality. The microbial quality of wastewater usually measured by the concentration of the two primary sources of water-borne infection – faecal coliforms and nematode eggs might not suffice in the long run as a range of viruses and protozoa pose additional health risks. In sum, wastewater is a resource of growing global importance and its use in agriculture must be carefully managed in order to preserve the substantial benefits while minimizing the serious risks.