Novel Methodology for the Promotion of treated wastewater reuse for Mediterranean crops improvement
4 June, 2050
MeProWare
Waste water source
The demo-site includes the municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of Acquaviva Delle Fonti.
Distribution System
The WWTP effluents are delivered to a distribution system recently built by the municipality to serve a local cooperative of farmers (Cooperativa “La Molignana”). However, before connecting the plant to the distribution system some extra works were carried out to protect the irrigation network from possible malfunctioning/floods of the wastewater treatment plant. In particular, sluice gates were connected with turbidity probes placed at the outlet of the plant, in order to deviate the effluent to the normal discharge in case of lowered effluent quality.
Farming system
2 to 3 ha of permanent crops are irrigated with drip irrigation. The permanent crops are olive trees and vineyards.
Waste water treatment description
Nutrient removal : none
Pesticide removal : none
Disinfection : UV light is used.
Suspended solids removal : Disc filters provide the pretreatment for the UV disinfection unit
Other
Capacity
The demo-site includes the municipal wastewater treatment plant of Acquaviva Delle Fonti (30.000 PE). For the research experiment, a fraction of 150 - 200m3/h of reclaimed water is retrieved for agriculture.
Extent of the agricultural beneficiaries
Two test field were a vineyard (Site A) and an olive grove (Site B).
Site A is placed relatively close to the municipal WWTP of Acquaviva Delle Fonti. The vine cultivar is the Red Globe, a table grape variety, and the training method adopted is the “tendone”, an high vine training typical in Apulia region. The sampling subarea is 1.6 ha large (0.95 ha irrigated with tertiary treated effluent, 0.75 ha with well water).
Site B is 4 km far from the WWTP. The olive cultivar is the Ogliarola, an oil variety. The sampling subarea chosen for the experimental activity is large 1.1 ha.
Costs
Type of agreement
Scientific results
Scientific Reports and peer-reviewed papers
Additional information
The overall quality of the tertiary effluent is very high both in terms of microbiological and chemical-physical characteristics. Compared with the well water, the tertiary treated effluent has higher content of organic substances and nutrients useful for plants growth.
