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Environmental Impacts and Sustainability of Degraded Water Reuse
Author(s) -
Corwin Dennis L.,
Bradford Scott A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2008.0210
Subject(s) - reuse , sustainability , environmental science , wastewater , environmental planning , agriculture , surface runoff , recreation , biosolids , water resources , water resource management , environmental engineering , business , waste management , engineering , geography , ecology , archaeology , biology
Greater urban demand for finite water resources to meet domestic, agricultural, industrial, and recreational needs; increased frequency of drought resulting from erratic weather; and continued degradation of available water resources from point and nonpoint sources of pollution have focused attention on the reuse of degraded waters as a potential water source. However, short‐ and long‐term detrimental environmental impacts and sustainability of degraded water reuse are not well known or understood. These concerns led to the organization of the 2007 ASA‐CSSA‐SSSA Symposium entitled Environmental Impacts and Sustainability of Degraded Water Reuse Out of this symposium came a special collection of 4 review papers and 12 technical research papers focusing on various issues associated with the reuse of agricultural drainage water, well water generated in the production of natural gas from coalbeds, municipal wastewater and biosolids, wastewater from confined animal operations, urban runoff, and food‐processing wastewater. Overviews of the papers, gaps in knowledge, and future research directions are presented. The future prognosis of degraded water reuse is promising, provided close attention is paid to managing constituents that pose short‐ and long‐term threats to the environment and the health of humankind.