Utilizing Wastewater Reuse and Desalination Processes to Reduce the Environmental Impacts of Agriculture

Designing production processes with reduced environmental impacts is becoming more important. In many industries, including but not limited to agricultural production, water use and wastewater generation have a major share in the total environmental impact of the production processes. Integrating water and wastewater processes into industrial processes requires a multidimensional analysis that takes into account the various potential water sources, as well as the different options of wastewater treatment available. We developed a model for planning water supply from diverse sources, including groundwater, the water from national supply sources, wastewater reuse and seawater desalination. The model integrates hydrological, technological and economic considerations, and estimates the economic and environmental impacts of alternative water management policies. The model was implemented on the case study of agricultural production processes, based on the unique geographical characteristics of Emek Heffer and northern Sharon regions in Israel. The hydrological model was developed on the basis of the specific hydrological database for these regions, and enabled to plan the local water resources use and forecast the chlorides concentration in the aquifer. Based on the results of the model and economic data, the costs of desalination processes and of the water supply to the region under various scenarios were estimated. The results include recommendations for the water treatment level and for desalination of different water sources, and forecasts of the implementation costs. We conclude that the economic cost of improving the quality of the supplied water and of the aquifer water should be considered in the planning of agricultural production to reduce its environmental impacts at minimal economic cost.