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AUG- 9-99 MON 9:35 AM 7-H TECHNICAL SVC GRP FAX NO, 53027322Q0 P• 3 SPRAY& r Is irrigating with wastewater a good option for your Dome or community? If you live in an arca where water must is higher quality than the wastewater system clogging.Additional treatment be conserved or is expensive,or where discharged from treatment plants due to may be necessary to protect the receiving other options for disposing of wastewater the additional treatment provided in the soil. environment and may include secondary are restricted,then reusing wastewater for Regulations protect public health and 1 treatment plus disinfection.This adds to irrigation may be a good option for your the environment by requiring that waste- the cost of building,operatingand main- home,farm.business.or community.It also water always be pretreated prior to irrigation taining systems,which should be consid- can be a good choice simply because it is and by restricting its quality,use,and the erect when determining whether irrigation an efficient use of local resources. manner and location of its application. is a practical wastewater disposal option. In and climates,such as in Arizona,New Cumulative levels of nutrients.salts.heavy Mexico.and parts of California,for exam- metals.and disease-causing organisms also Site Conditions Are Important pie.or where the demand for water threat- must be monitored in the soil at some sites. Not all sites are appropriate for waste- ens to exceed the supply,as it does in parts water application.Communities wishing of Florida.many homes and businesses Regulations Vary to dispose of wastewater from treatment could not afford to maintain grass lawns `tastewater reuse is not permitted every- plants through irrigation sometimes must or landscaped areas without reusing waste- where.Regulations vary from state to state purchase or lease suitable land for dispos- water.In Hawaii,treated wastewater is used and sometimes from community to comma- ' al or enter into cooperative artangements to irrigate pineapples and sugar cane to nity.State and local governments may have with local farmers or landowners.Sites save money and conserve fresh water for additional or more stringent requirements near surface water or high groundwater other uses. than the federal regulations. often are restricted,especially when Irrigation also can serve as an alternative Community residents can contact local these are used as drinking water sources. onsite disposal method for lots deemed health agency officials to find out about Regulations typically require minimutrt unsuitable for conventional septic tank/soil regulations in their area.The National Small separation distances or buffer zones from absorption systems.Because irrigation sys- Flows Clearinghouse(NSFC)also offers ground and surface water recourses and terns are designed to deliver wastewater information about federal and state regu- public areas to minimize contact with slowly at rates beneficial to vegetation,and lations.(Refer to the contacts list on page 7 wastewater. because the wastewater is applied either to heir(the products infonnmion on page 8.1 Other important site selection criteria the ground surface or at shallow depths. include the type of soil.soil wetness. irrigation may be permitted on certain sites Pretreatment Is Required slope,drainage patterns.and local cli- with high bedrock,high groundwater,or After wastewater receives primary and mate.including rainfall amounts and evaporation rates. In areas that have cold slowly permeable soils.Irrigation systems sometimes secondary treatment in a com- also can be designed to accommodate sites munity treatment plant or individual onsite or wet weather part of the year,wase _ with complex terrains. . .. treatment.system,additional treatment steps— water often must be stored in lagoons or Local governments sometimes choose often are required prior to irrigation to holding tanks until irrigation is needed. to reuse wastewater from community reduce the amount of suspended solids and Some irrigation equipment also can freeze treatment plants for irrigation,rather than organisms in the wastewater.Both can pose in very cold weather. discharging all of it to local surface waters. a threat to public health and clog systems. Irrigation can help communities to save Microorganisms.such as bacteria.can col- Maintenance Is Necessary money or avoid exceeding surface dis- lett or multiply and create slime that clogs All systems.including ieiieation sys- charge permit limits,while preserving systems.Pretreatment also minimizes odors terns,have operation and maintenance the quality of local water resources for in wastewater,so there is less potential for requirements.These include periodic drinking water,aquatic life,and recreation. creating a public nuisance and attracting checking and cleaning of filters.checking Some communities even have two sep- animals that can spread diseases. valves.pumps,and timers.and, some arate distribution systems—one for Different degrees of pretreatment are cases,monitoring wastewater quality and potable water and another for reclaimed required for the wastewater depending on its impact on soils.Large systems serving water for watering lawns and other how it will be used and the intended method farms,businesses.or communities often irrigation needs. of irrigation.For example,standards are have operators,but most systems are at more rigorous for surface irrigation methods,: least partially automated. I$ It Sate? such as spray irrigation,and when irrigating ; Although spray and subsurface drip Irrigating with wastewater is safe when food or feed crops or land intended for pub- irrigation systems serving individual all federal,state,and local regulations lic use.Biological pretreatment to remove ! homes may only need maintenance about regarding its treatment and use are strictly I organic matter from the wastewater is fol- once or twice per year,homeowners followed.When regulatory requirements i lowed by filtration,to remove small parti- should consider that these systems will are met,the wastewater returned to the Iles from the wastewater,and disinfection. require more attention than conventional}•-; environment after irrigation usually Subsurface drip irrigation systems also onsite systems.• t r ;' employ filters mainly to protect against 1 ............. •