Open AccessGrey Water: Agricultural Use of Reclaimed Water in California
Author(s) -
Sheikh Bahman,
Nelson Kara L.,
Haddad Brent,
Thebo Anne
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of contemporary water research and education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1936-704X
pISSN - 1936-7031
DOI - 10.1111/j.1936-704x.2018.03291.x
Subject(s) - incentive , agriculture , water conservation , reclaimed water , business , context (archaeology) , reuse , farm water , water use , natural resource economics , water scarcity , outreach , irrigation , water resources , environmental planning , water resource management , environmental science , engineering , waste management , geography , economics , economic growth , ecology , archaeology , biology , microeconomics
Potential for use of recycled water is great, especially for agricultural irrigation, which comprises by far the highest percentage of water taken from developed sources in the arid and semi‐arid regions of the world. In California, 80% of developed water is used for agriculture, and the same pattern prevails throughout the western United States. The potential for recycled water use in agriculture remains under‐realized because of numerous impediments. Understanding how the incentives and impediments to agricultural reuse vary based on local context is critical to understanding the tradeoffs and technology requirements for different end uses of recycled water. Public perceptions about the safety of reclaimed water (from human waste) were a major impediment to water recycling until recent years. Several pioneers of water recycling have demonstrated—as specialists in the field of social psychology have hypothesized—that these attitudes are ephemeral and can be changed with proper outreach, demonstration, and education. Another impediment is the regulatory structure in some states. Water rights issues are another impediment specific to some western states in the United States. Cost differences for delivered water from traditional sources versus recycled water can be another challenge potentially requiring financial incentives in the interest of the greater good. One other impediment to the use of recycled water for agricultural irrigation is competition with other demands for the same water—landscape, golf course, industrial, and potable reuse. Potential for increased use of recycled water is great if impediments are removed and incentives are provided at the local, state, and/or federal levels to close the gaps (geographic and otherwise) between the utilities and the farmers.