Reúso de aguas residuales domésticas para riego agrícola. Valoración crítica

Abstract

A compilation of the available general information about the current international standards and studies developed on this topic in region is presented. A critical evaluation of the wastewater treatment technologies that are recommended at present for reuse in agricultural irrigation is also performed. Information from international organizations such as World and Pan-American Health Organizations, the Pan-American Center of Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences and the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States of America, mainly was used. The productive use of these treated wastewater in agricultural irrigation constitutes an important alternative due to their high contents of nutritious and organic matter, that could favor the crops increase and the soil improvement. It could be appropriately used for the irrigation of cultivations which are not intended to direct human consumption, as forages and other industrial cultivations. There are international guidelines that regulate the wastewater quality for reuse in the agriculture, but many countries have not implemented their own standards and in other they without any treatment are used. The most widely recommended treatment technology is the stabilization lagoons, but it is also recognized that there are other available technologies and the necessity of studies in alternative treatments as the filtration and the disinfection.