Quality Proficiency to Crop, Soil and Irrigation System of Recycled Wastewater from the Van/Edremit Wastewater Treatment Plant

Abstract

Increasing pressure on water resources in the world has revealed the necessity of using marginal water resources in irrigation. With the use of wastewater, which is one of the marginal water resources, the pressure on freshwater resources is alleviated, the discharge problems of wastewater are solved, and soil and crop productivity increase with the high nutritive effect of wastewater. However, salinity, heavy metals, some harmful chemicals, and the pathogen risks of wastewater should not be ignored. In this context, in this study, the effluent of the wastewater treatment plant located in the central Edremit district of Van province was evaluated in terms of usability in irrigation. Samples were taken from treated wastewater during the vegetation period in 2020 and 2021 and pH, EC, cation and anions, micro elements and heavy metal, total nitrogen and phosphorus, total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, fecal coliform, percent sodium, sodium adsorption rate, residual sodium carbonate and Langelier saturation index were determined by analysis and calculations. As a result of the study, the treated wastewater does not pose a risk in terms of pH, EC, cation and anions, micro elements and heavy metal, total suspended solids, percent sodium, sodium adsorption rate, residual sodium carbonate, langelier saturation index and fecal coliform, but attention should be paid to the total nitrogen and phosphorus, chemical and biological oxygen demand contents. It was concluded that the treated wastewater is in compliance with national and international standards, and there is no harm in its use in irrigation and thus treated wastewater can be recommended as a reliable water source for irrigation in the semi-arid province of Van/Edremit. However, in order to ensure safe and sustainable management in irrigation with wastewater, it is necessary to monitor water quality and make necessary inspections of soil, crop and irrigation systems.

Feasibility of Improving the Quality of Treated Wastewater Owing to Soil Improvement

“…The ndings indicate that we can make signi cant progress in using wastewater for farming with the improvements in treatment techniques that we already have (Kesari et al, 2021). But, to make sure that wastewater irrigation is safe and can continue in the long term, we need to check the quality of the water and inspect the soil, crops, and irrigation systems (Yerli and SAHİN, 2022). The ndings revealed that over a long period of time, soils watered with wastewater contain a high amount of heavy metals compared to elds watered with fresh water.…”