Reclamation of Treated Wastewater for Irrigation in Chile: Perspectives of the Current State and Challenges

Ismael Vera-Puerto; Hugo Valdés; Marcos Bueno; Christian Correa; Jorge Olave; Marcos Carrasco-Benavides; Flavia Schiappacasse; Carlos A. Arias

doi:10.3390/w14040627

Reclamation of Treated Wastewater for Irrigation in Chile: Perspectives of the Current State and Challenges

Ismael Vera-Puerto^*, Hugo Valdés, Marcos Bueno, Christian Correa, Jorge Olave, Marcos Carrasco-Benavides, Flavia Schiappacasse, Carlos A. Arias

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Reclamation of treated wastewater is considered a viable option for reducing the agricultural and national water deficit, especially in Mediterranean-type and arid climatic conditions. Given that Chile is a country around 40% of whose territory is classified as semi-arid and desert and 20% as Mediterranean, with serious water scarcity problems, and which uses a great deal of the resource in agricultural irrigation, the present paper offers perspectives on the current state of treated wastewater reuse and considers challenges to improving the development of water reclamation for irrigation in Chile as a case study. The methods followed included a systematic literature review to answer two important questions: (a) What is the state of reclamation of treated wastewater for irrigation in Chile? and (b) What criteria/parameters determine the feasibility of reclaiming treated wastewater for irrigation in Chile? The results showed that Chile has been affected by climate change in a short time: a megadrought has occurred over the last ten years, increasing the necessity for the country to secure alternative water sources for irrigation. The country has advanced greatly in wastewater treatment coverage, achieving almost 100% in urban areas, with technologies that can produce quality water as a new water source for irrigation. However, the lack of regulations and limited frameworks could explain the low direct reuse at present—below 1% of total flow. Regarding challenges, the necessity of updates to Chile’s institutional and legal frameworks, besides the inclusion of rural communities and the study of emerging contaminants, will be discussed. By these means, it will be possible to more efficiently utilize recycled wastewater as a new source for irrigation in this country.

Original language	English
Article number	627
Journal	Water
Volume	14
Issue	4
ISSN	2073-4441
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/w14040627
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2022

Keywords

Arid climate
Atacama Desert
Chilean agriculture
Greywater
Mediterranean climate
Wastewater treatment and reuse

Access to Document

10.3390/w14040627

Cite this

@article{3ac455db8da84339a6582747f78f7400,

title = "Reclamation of Treated Wastewater for Irrigation in Chile: Perspectives of the Current State and Challenges",

abstract = "Reclamation of treated wastewater is considered a viable option for reducing the agricultural and national water deficit, especially in Mediterranean-type and arid climatic conditions. Given that Chile is a country around 40% of whose territory is classified as semi-arid and desert and 20% as Mediterranean, with serious water scarcity problems, and which uses a great deal of the resource in agricultural irrigation, the present paper offers perspectives on the current state of treated wastewater reuse and considers challenges to improving the development of water reclamation for irrigation in Chile as a case study. The methods followed included a systematic literature review to answer two important questions: (a) What is the state of reclamation of treated wastewater for irrigation in Chile? and (b) What criteria/parameters determine the feasibility of reclaiming treated wastewater for irrigation in Chile? The results showed that Chile has been affected by climate change in a short time: a megadrought has occurred over the last ten years, increasing the necessity for the country to secure alternative water sources for irrigation. The country has advanced greatly in wastewater treatment coverage, achieving almost 100% in urban areas, with technologies that can produce quality water as a new water source for irrigation. However, the lack of regulations and limited frameworks could explain the low direct reuse at present—below 1% of total flow. Regarding challenges, the necessity of updates to Chile{\textquoteright}s institutional and legal frameworks, besides the inclusion of rural communities and the study of emerging contaminants, will be discussed. By these means, it will be possible to more efficiently utilize recycled wastewater as a new source for irrigation in this country.",

keywords = "Arid climate, Atacama Desert, Chilean agriculture, Greywater, Mediterranean climate, Wastewater treatment and reuse",

author = "Ismael Vera-Puerto and Hugo Vald{\'e}s and Marcos Bueno and Christian Correa and Jorge Olave and Marcos Carrasco-Benavides and Flavia Schiappacasse and Arias, {Carlos A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

year = "2022",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3390/w14040627",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

journal = "Water",

issn = "2073-4441",

publisher = "M D P I AG",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Reclamation of Treated Wastewater for Irrigation in Chile

T2 - Perspectives of the Current State and Challenges

AU - Vera-Puerto, Ismael

AU - Valdés, Hugo

AU - Bueno, Marcos

AU - Correa, Christian

AU - Olave, Jorge

AU - Carrasco-Benavides, Marcos

AU - Schiappacasse, Flavia

AU - Arias, Carlos A.

PY - 2022/2/1

Y1 - 2022/2/1

N2 - Reclamation of treated wastewater is considered a viable option for reducing the agricultural and national water deficit, especially in Mediterranean-type and arid climatic conditions. Given that Chile is a country around 40% of whose territory is classified as semi-arid and desert and 20% as Mediterranean, with serious water scarcity problems, and which uses a great deal of the resource in agricultural irrigation, the present paper offers perspectives on the current state of treated wastewater reuse and considers challenges to improving the development of water reclamation for irrigation in Chile as a case study. The methods followed included a systematic literature review to answer two important questions: (a) What is the state of reclamation of treated wastewater for irrigation in Chile? and (b) What criteria/parameters determine the feasibility of reclaiming treated wastewater for irrigation in Chile? The results showed that Chile has been affected by climate change in a short time: a megadrought has occurred over the last ten years, increasing the necessity for the country to secure alternative water sources for irrigation. The country has advanced greatly in wastewater treatment coverage, achieving almost 100% in urban areas, with technologies that can produce quality water as a new water source for irrigation. However, the lack of regulations and limited frameworks could explain the low direct reuse at present—below 1% of total flow. Regarding challenges, the necessity of updates to Chile’s institutional and legal frameworks, besides the inclusion of rural communities and the study of emerging contaminants, will be discussed. By these means, it will be possible to more efficiently utilize recycled wastewater as a new source for irrigation in this country.

AB - Reclamation of treated wastewater is considered a viable option for reducing the agricultural and national water deficit, especially in Mediterranean-type and arid climatic conditions. Given that Chile is a country around 40% of whose territory is classified as semi-arid and desert and 20% as Mediterranean, with serious water scarcity problems, and which uses a great deal of the resource in agricultural irrigation, the present paper offers perspectives on the current state of treated wastewater reuse and considers challenges to improving the development of water reclamation for irrigation in Chile as a case study. The methods followed included a systematic literature review to answer two important questions: (a) What is the state of reclamation of treated wastewater for irrigation in Chile? and (b) What criteria/parameters determine the feasibility of reclaiming treated wastewater for irrigation in Chile? The results showed that Chile has been affected by climate change in a short time: a megadrought has occurred over the last ten years, increasing the necessity for the country to secure alternative water sources for irrigation. The country has advanced greatly in wastewater treatment coverage, achieving almost 100% in urban areas, with technologies that can produce quality water as a new water source for irrigation. However, the lack of regulations and limited frameworks could explain the low direct reuse at present—below 1% of total flow. Regarding challenges, the necessity of updates to Chile’s institutional and legal frameworks, besides the inclusion of rural communities and the study of emerging contaminants, will be discussed. By these means, it will be possible to more efficiently utilize recycled wastewater as a new source for irrigation in this country.

KW - Arid climate

KW - Atacama Desert

KW - Chilean agriculture

KW - Greywater

KW - Mediterranean climate

KW - Wastewater treatment and reuse

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125358697&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/w14040627

DO - 10.3390/w14040627

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85125358697

SN - 2073-4441

VL - 14

JO - Water

JF - Water

IS - 4

M1 - 627

ER -

Reclamation of Treated Wastewater for Irrigation in Chile: Perspectives of the Current State and Challenges

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this