GENEVA — Nov. 20, 2015 — International standards body the ISO has published new standards on treating and reusing wastewater for agricultural irrigation projects, according to a press release.
The ISO 16075 series, announced on Friday, contains guidelines for the development and execution of treated wastewater projects, including design, materials, construction and performance. It covers issues such as water quality, types of crops that can be irrigated, associated risks and main components (e.g. pipeline networks and reservoirs), noted the release.
ISO pointed out that in regions where water is scarce, treated wastewater can provide a “lifeline” to farmers, stated the release. A new standard for treated wastewater can help key players in irrigation maximize the benefits and reduce any related risks for their agricultural irrigation systems, the organization said.
The ISO 16075 series includes:
- ISO 16075-1:2015, Guidelines for treated wastewater use for irrigation projects — Part 1: The basis of a reuse project for irrigation. This contains guidelines for all elements of a project using treated wastewater for irrigation.
- ISO 16075-2:2015, Guidelines for treated wastewater use for irrigation projects — Part 2: Development of the project, which covers issues such as criteria for the design and specifications for quality.
- ISO 16075-3: 2015, Guidelines for treated wastewater use for irrigation projects — Part 3: Components of a reuse project for irrigation.
Dr. Jorge Tarchitzky, chair of ISO/TC 282/SC 1, the technical committee that developed the standards, said in the release: “Water scarcity already affects every continent. Aquifer water quality is decreasing, and streams, rivers, seas, lands and plants are polluted by wastewater, or affected by lack of its use or improper treatment.
“Properly treated wastewater is an ideal resource to replace freshwater use in agriculture. Treated wastewater can be used for land reclamation, improving agricultural growth and reducing fertilization costs. An environmentally productive use of treated wastewater can also prevent ecological damage to water sources.”
You can find the entire release here.
