Use of reclaimed effluent water in Australian horticulture

Product Information

Due to environmental and economic pressures, the volume of reclaimed water being used in Australia is increasing (Dillon 2000, Radcliffe 2003). One of the major potential, and current, uses of this water is for irrigation of horticultural crops. In recognition of this, Land and Water Australia funded the present project—Use of reclaimed water in Australian horticulture—, which is intended to position the horticultural industry to both assess and develop reuse schemes. There are two main stages. Stage One is a reconnaissance study aimed at identifying the major knowledge gaps related to the use of reclaimed water for horticultural irrigation. Research aimed at filling the gaps will comprise Stage Two. The review presented here is one of the major components of Stage One. The other two main components are the construction of a systems framework and an inventory of reclaimed water resources and horticultural water usage. This is a
preliminary version of the review; the final version will be completed by December 31 2003, after experts have been contracted to add to certain sections.

A major initiative, the Australian Water Conservation and Reuse Program (AWCRP), was recently established to improve continuity and coordination of research into reuse issues in Australia (Dillon nd). The AWCRP program includes a variety of projects covering various aspects of water reuse research. The reclaimed water use in horticulture project is closely linked to the AWCRP program.