Dr. Francisco Pedrero Salcedo

University of Bari “Aldo Moro"

Dipartimento di Scienze Agro Ambientali e Territoriali

(DiSAAT)

Recupero e riutilizzo

delle acque reflue in agricoltura

Recupero e riuso nella regione di Murcia (Spagna)

Water reuse in Europe

Water reuse in Europe

The Region of Murcia

ETo ≈ 1500 mm.year-1 Precip. ≈ 300 mm.year-1

The Region of Murcia

- 336.000 cropped ha (122.000 horticulture crops – 214.000

fruit trees)

- 170.000 ha irrigated (85% drip irrigation)

Horticulture Fruit trees

Agriculture in Murcia

Agriculture in Murcia

• 20% National fruit and vegetables exports

• Exports 3.000 millions euros

• 6% of the regional internal product

• High economic performance 8-10€ /m3 under greenhouses

Water quality problem in Murcia

GENERAL PLAN FOR WASTEWATER RECLAMATION 2001-2010

OBJECTIVES

- MORE WATER (FOR AGRICULTURE REUSE)

- RECOVERY RIVER SEGURA (AND NATURE)

- ENSURING WASTEWATER TREATMENT EU (DIRECTIVE 91/ 271/CEE)

BASIC POLICIES

- INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDING

- WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

- INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER - DISCHARGES CONTROL SEWER AT SOURCE TREATMENT

99% URBAN POPULATION

CONNECTED TO TREATMENT

INFFLUENTS VALUES IN MURCIA´S WWTP

minimum medium value maximum

BOD₅ 115 mg/l 578 mg/l 1684 mg/l

COD 284 mg/l 1034 mg/l 2542 mg/l

SS 79 mg/l 332 mg/l 1145 mg/l

EC

1130

µS/cm 2670 µS/cm

10446

µS/cm

Total

Nitrogen 7 mg/l 52 mg/l 169 mg/l

Total

Phosporus 0,4 mg/l 9,2 mg/l 23 mg/l

Reclaimed water use in Murcia

Facilities : 88 WWTP + 46 Station Pumps

Treated Water : 109,4 Hm3

Population equivalent : 2,090,000

0.25-1.5 million irrigation

hectares per year are lost

because of salinization

Soil secondary salinization in the semi-

arid regions seriously affects

the productivity of at least 20-30 million

ha

11% of the total

irrigation surface

An estimated 100,000 irrigated

hectares are irrigated with

water from aquifers, of which

85% have a very high level of

salts

Salinity problem

Direct water reuse Indirect water reuse (stream) Indirect water reuse (infiltration) Sea

Reclaimed water use in Murcia

-Predominance of smallholdings

- Wide variety of crops grown in one single irrigation zone

- Presence of irrigation channels and drainage ditches

where the reclaimed water is mixed with other sources

Characteristic features of irrigation in the Mediterranean Region

Irrigation Community Campo de Cartagena

Location • Founded: 1952

• First Irrigation: 1979

• Irrigation Surface Area: 41,294 Ha

• Municipalities: Cartagena, Torre Pacheco, San Javier, Fuente Álamo, Los Alcázares, San Pedro del Pinatar, Pilar de la Horadada and Murcia.

• Number of Members: 9,896

• Annual Water Supply (141,9 Hm3):

• 122 Hm3 Tajo-Segura Diversion.

• 4,2 Hm3 Segura River Basin.

• 2,2 Hm3 Mojón Desalination Plant.

• 13,5 Hm3 EDARs

Irrigation Techniques

59%30%

7% 4%

DISTRIBUCION DE CULTIVOS

Hortícolas

Cítricos

Invernaderos

Frutales

Crop Distribution

Irrigation Community Campo de Cartagena

Water Sources

(29.610 ha)

• Tajo-Segura Diversion: 122 Hm3

TOTAL SUPPLY:…………………………………. 122 Hm3 (4.120 m3/ha)

(11.642 ha) • Segura River Basin: 4,2 Hm3 (CSR 7/2003) (Assigned by the Cuenca Plan)*

• Mojón Desalination Plant: 2,2 Hm3 (CSR 4/2003)

• E.D.A.R. :

• Fuente Álamo (CSR 24/2004): 0,654 Hm3

• Torre-Pacheco (CSR 16/2003): 1,825 Hm3

• San Javier (CSR 64/2004 y 30/2004): 2,394+0,5 Hm3

• Balsicas- Roldán (CSR 23/2004): 1,000 Hm3

• Los Alcázares (CSR 34/2005): 2,611 Hm3

• San Pedro del Pinatar (CSR 92/2005): 3,767 Hm3

• EDAR La Aljorra (CSR 17/2007) 0,270 Hm3.

- TOTAL SUPPLY:…………………………………...... 19,421 Hm3 (1.668 m3/ha)

Comunidad de Regantes Campo de Cartagena

Water Sources

(29.610 ha)

• Tajo-Segura Diversion: 122 Hm3

TOTAL SUPPLY:…………………………………. 122 Hm3 (4.120 m3/ha)

(11.642 ha) • Segura River Basin: 4,2 Hm3 (CSR 7/2003) (Assigned by the Cuenca Plan)*

• Mojón Desalination Plant: 2,2 Hm3 (CSR 4/2003)

• E.D.A.R. :

• Fuente Álamo (CSR 24/2004): 0,654 Hm3

• Torre-Pacheco (CSR 16/2003): 1,825 Hm3

• San Javier (CSR 64/2004 y 30/2004): 2,394+0,5 Hm3

• Balsicas- Roldán (CSR 23/2004): 1,000 Hm3

• Los Alcázares (CSR 34/2005): 2,611 Hm3

• San Pedro del Pinatar (CSR 92/2005): 3,767 Hm3

• EDAR La Aljorra (CSR 17/2007) 0,270 Hm3.

- TOTAL SUPPLY:…………………………………...... 19,421 Hm3 (1.668 m3/ha)

Recreational use

Golf Irrigation

CAMPOTEJAR JUMILLA MAZARRÓN

pH 8,25 8,07 7,85

CE (dS m-1) 3,50 1,68 8,96

SDT (mg l-¹) 1679,17 754 5340,00

OD (mg l-1) 9,05 5,1 6,20

SS (mg l-1) 8,65 2,56 5,46

Turbidez

(NTU)3,22 7 1,65

B 0,55 0,1871 1,26

Ca 165,83 69,02 202,20

K 37,56 33,3 117,10

Mg 99,25 40,63 206,70

Na 362,82 260 1492,00

P 0,68 2,776 6,86

S 204,55 37,54 281,90

cloruros 861,99 720,2 57,00

nitratos 32,13 6,32 26,00

sulfatos 1044,03 390,1 572,00

AGUA RESIDUAL DEPURADA

WWTP Campotejar (Murcia)

Challenges on treatment

and reuse

• Safety and toxicity risks

• Economic concerns (energy-water)

• Social acceptance

• Integrated water reuse optimization projects

Future studies on water reuse based on the main barriers

Treatment efficiency

New desinfection systems

New indicators and improve detection systems

clostridium

virus

giardia

COLIGUARD (glucoronidasa)

Emerging contaminants and elimination

Improve agronomic characteristics

Proyect LIFE OFREA

Reclaimed water use in agriculture

Pilot plants at PLOT LEVEL

Pilot plants at DISTRICT

LEVEL

New technologies

Dissemination and public perception

Miscellaneous problems

Irrigation Department water reuse projects

Irrigation Department experience

132 m

59 m

82 m

45 m

105 m

48 m

106 m

30 m

135 m

43 m

Aquifer depth

Optimal groundwater recharge

5Km

Wastewater treatment plant

1

3

5

4

2

-A network of experimental plots in different locations and different

types of reclaimed water and crops.

-The effect of using reclaimed water on tree physiology, performance,

quality and safety of crops

- Effects on the long and medium term effect on soil salt accumulation,

unsaturated area and groundwater pollution.

Pilot plants at plot level

Long term effects

Ctr J O J F M A M J A N S D

RDI

100 % ETc

50 % ETc

Dual-Water J O J F M A M J A N S D

Regulated Saline Irrigation “RSI”

100 % ETc

ECw > 4 ECw ≈ 1 ECw ≈ 1

ECw > 4 ECw > 4 ECw ≈ 1 NEW treatments

Best Managements Strategies

Water and Agriculture Research Platform CEBAS-CSIC

Grenhouses 860m2

a

f

e

b

c

d

Soil surface

• Research projects

- Agricultural reclaimed water use effects on horticultural crops

growing on soil and hidroponics.

- Water treatment prototypes testing

- Food safety risk and security studies.

- Emerging contaminants

- Sludge

• Enterprise collaborations

- Precision irrigation with soil and environmental sensor integration

• Visits, trainning days, international courses ,

dissemination, MsC, phD.

- Associated with irrigation districts, often organized around

irrigators associations with concessions for use reclaimed

water.

- Continuously assess the quality of irrigation water used.

- Assessing the effects of reclaimed water on plant and

soil, but also estimating how the reservoirs, water pipes

systems and all the associated infrastructures with the

distribution could affect.

Pilot plants at district level

Feasibility study of using reclaimed water from the WWTP of Jumilla in the Miraflores Irrigators Community

Miraflores Irrigators

Community

Conceptual

planning

Facility

planning

Feasibility

study

GIS

Potential use of reclaimed water with GIS-based multicriteria analysis

New Technologies

Constraints Transport < 8 Km R to streams > 100 m R to wells > 100 m R to reservoirs > 500 m

Constraints R to population agglomerates > 200 m

Constraints 0 < Slope < 12%.

Constraints 10% < Clay 1m < Depth

New Technologies

Parameters Area (ha)

Studied area 13,944

Area without population agglomerates 12,445

Economic restriction area 7,805

Area with slopes < 12% 10,852

Area occupied by antrosol soils 8 ,862

Area without water sources 5,345

Potential reuse area 1,607

New Technologies

Simplified treatments

ACRONYM TOPIC Coordination Partners

DESERT 1 ; 2

Low-Cost Water Desalination and Sensor

Technology Compact Module

non-conventional water; desalination; smart

agriculture; energy efficiency; wastewater

treatment; recycling; soil fertility conservation;

nutrient use efficiency and continuous monitoring

PRINCIPAL

INVESTIGATOR INSTITUTION COUNTRY

Salvatore Camposeo Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro Italy

Emilio Nicolás Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior Spain

Philippe Lebailly Université de Liège Belgium

Anna Maria Stellacci Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia

Agraria Italy

Lucas Galera Quiles NOVEDADES AGRICOLAS S.A. Spain

Water Energy Nutrients/Soil

Innovative aspects of the project

Renewable

energy used

for water

treatments

Reuse of non

conventional

water

new continuous

monitoring system and

soil quality preservation

a) Evaluation of DESERT technology;

b) Monitoring and evaluating the medium-term evolution of crop

nutritional status and eco-physiological response;

c) Evaluating the effect, in medium-term, of the evolution of the

soil status. d) The experiments in the field will start the second year

Spain Italy

EXPERIMENTAL FIELDS

Experimental protocol - University of Bari “Aldo Moro”

Treatments: T1 - Fresh water-control T2 - Fresh water – RDI (60%) T3 - DESERTwt- control T4 - DESERTwt- RDI (60%)

Trees Characteristics: - Olive 1,5 yers old in pots 100 L. Cv Oliana. 1.5 x 3 m planting system. For pots,

we are using the farm soil.

- Almond 2 yers old in pots 100 L. Cv Guara with rootstok Rootpak 20. 1.5 x 3 m planting system. For pots, we are using the farm soil.

Irrigation system: - For each pots we will use 3 dripper 2 L h-1. The irrigation will be scheduled by

using OPIRIS system.

Methodology – Experimental setup

• Agricultural:

– Fresh weight / Dry weight

– C/N

– Macronutrients & micronutrients

• Microbiological:

– E. coli (widespread indicator)

• Compared against Es/Ec standards

Methodology - Crops

• RIRA (Deterministic): Fixed risk value (worst-case scenario) • KH-QMRA (Stochastic): Uncertainty and randomness (ranges

of values) • 12 Scenarios (6 treatments – 2 locations/consumption

patterns) each model: Surrogates & assumptions • Representative pathogens (based on E. coli in water):

– Rotavirus – Campylobacter – Cryptosporidium

• Compared with WHO guidelines (IC/DC)

Methodology – Health risk

DESERT-water → safe, high-quality reclaimed water

● Complies with (ES) standards

● EC standards possibly too astringent

In contrast, many valuable nutrients might be removed

Crops comply with microbiological standards → safe produce

DW-irrigated crops → safest to be consumed

Irrigation techniques are crucial in reducing health risks

Stochastic QMRA (closer to reality) estimates lower risks → more tolerable irrigation schemes

Conclusions

Highest-quality reclaimed water might not be necessary → adjust removal efficiencies

Look for a pros-cons equilibrium: standards / tolerance of crops / constituents of concern / useful nutrients

Do not rely absolutely in (possible costly) treatments → choose appropriate irrigations techniques

Stochastic QMRA estimations might be useful for guiding decision-makers

Recommendations

Plant uptake models for emerging contaminants

RISK EVALUATION

Determining acceptable pollutants

concentrations for human health

-Conferences at all levels, both users and generators of such

waters, to raise awareness of the importance of it.

-Economic analysis. Within this economic assessment all

environmental benefits – including non-market benefits –

should be included. To estimate the non-market benefits that

society attaches to the use of reclaimed water for agricultural

purposes

Dissemination and public perception

Dissemination and public perception

Disemination and users participation

Thanks for your attention