MANAGEMENT STRATIGIES FOR THE REUSE OF WASTEWATER IN JORDAN

摘要

Water resources in Jordan are extremely limited and water availability per capita is among thernlowest in the world. With the expected growth in population, the already limited supply of freshrnwater for agriculture will be used to meet the growing demands in urban and industrial regions ofrnthe country. The sustainability of irrigated agriculture in Jordan is dependent on efficientrnirrigation systems such as drip irrigation and marginal water sources such as wastewaterrngenerated from wastewater treatment facilities in Jordan. The municipal and industrial waterrnrequirements in Jordan are expected to increase by 65% over the next 15 years. Whilernagricultural demands are expected to increase by 5% during the same period. Reuse of treatedrnmunicipal water is expected to increase to meet the growing urban, industrial, and agriculturalrndemands in the future.rnIrrigated agriculture in Jordan is mostly concentrated in the Jordan Valley with optimum climaticrnconditions that allow for the production of up to three high-value vegetable crops per year. Asrnirrigated agriculture in Jordan becomes more dependent on wastewater and other marginal waterrnsources, the quality of marginal waters used for irrigation must be suitable for crop production.rnTherefore, the availability of treated wastewater for reuse to meet crop water requirements isrndependent on water quality, crop type, irrigation system, and other factors. A computer modelrnwas developed to predict the potential contribution of wastewater to crop water use of majorrncash crops in the Jordan Valley. The model incorporates wastewater quality, irrigation system,rncrop type, and soil type in estimating the maximum potential contribution of wastewater to croprnevapotranspiration. The model estimates the potential quantities of wastewater that can be usedrnto supplement fresh irrigation water for each of the major crops in the Valley. The model can bernused to implement sustainable management strategies for the reuse of treated wastewater in thernJordan Valley.