The Sewage Effluent Treatment Plant It is located a few kilometers from the urban ejido of Jacobaccilocated 213 kilometers east of San Carlos de Bariloche, in the heart of the Patagonian steppe; the area is in water emergency, so the landscape throughout the year – but particularly in January – has very little green. However, in the middle of the aridity, you can see a small forest of leafy trees with bees and other insects fluttering around, a true orchard.
And he continued: “Through a pumping system in the town it reaches the pool. The treatment that is done is with aeration, two aerators were installed that oxygenate the water so that it does not remain still. It must be said that the climatic conditions we have in our area allow the pathogens to hardly reproduce.”
The oxygen provided by the aerators, together with atmospheric oxygen and that provided by the photosynthetic activity of growing green algae, allow the oxidation and degradation of the organic matter in the effluent; while the treatment of pathogenic organisms in the effluent is through atmospheric UV radiation and then supplemented in the chlorination or contact chamber.
In this way, the water remains with microbiological quality permitted for use irrigation of forestry, forage and pasture crops according to the Resolution in force in the province.
The Plant was created in 2010 by the Provincial Department of Water (DPA) of Río Negrobut around 2015 a technical cooperation agreement was signed between the Jacobacci Water and Other Services Cooperative (COAySP)he Forestry Program of the Southern Region Entityhe Jacobacci Municipalityhe National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) and the University of Rio Negro to reuse water for irrigation.
“Our incorporation was to carry out a series of adaptive experimentation trials that allow us to collect information about the potential of the practice in the region, which is naturally aridwith few water sources and therefore with little possibility of developing activities under irrigationand also evaluate the potential environmental impacts it could have,” said agricultural engineer María Victoria Cremona, from INTA EEA Bariloche.
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The test has two sectors: one is watered with well water and the other with him reuse water.
“In all the trials we are collecting information about what happens in the crops and in the soil with this type of practices. The interesting thing is that we are comparing irrigation with treated residual water with irrigation with drilling water, to understand what distinguishes this practice from traditional irrigation,” explained agricultural engineer Martha Riat, from the National University of Río Negro.
And he continued: “The first thing we observed is that crop yields are very goodand the difference in favor of treated wastewater that, in addition to water, provides nutrientsare important, especially in trees.”
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The engineer described that “the soil irrigated with reused water, which in this area is naturally very poor, in general presents notable improvements, especially in the content of organic matter and nutrients, but there are some elements to which special attention must be paid. Be careful because they can slowly accumulate on the ground.”
In particular, Riat warned about the presence of phosphorus“since it is used by plants at a slower rate than this element is applied to the soil, so water and soil management strategies must be designed to avoid negative impacts.”
And he specified: “We are learning that the water management with organic load, such as treated wastewater, requires special attention to irrigation systems to ensure proper functioning.”
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What the researchers observe in the laboratory is seen with the naked eye. “The elm trees irrigated by reused water attracted bees, in fact in spring you can feel a loud buzzing when you approach; So in addition to the wood and firewood that was taken out to distribute among the residents, we also set up some beehives and started a business to make honey.”
Asked if sewage water can be used to irrigate consumer crops, Cremona explained: “Absolutely not with raw sewage effluent, it is always necessary to carry out a Treatment of waste water before thinking about irrigation. And the quality of the water for irrigation will depend greatly on the quality of the treatment, so it is not advisable to think about using the treated water for crops that may come into contact with water and be consumed directly, such as vegetables that are eaten. fresh for example.”
The specialist explained that “it will also depend on the way it is watered, if systems are used that avoid contact with the part of the plant that is consumed (drip for example) the risks are much lower.”
“The potential problems are health, and I insist, they depend on the previous water treatments being adequate and strictly controlled. Therefore, as experience is acquired, it is preferable to think about crops that are not consumed directly,” he assured.
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The experience of Jacobacci It is not the only one in the country: in the same province, Black riverhe Provincial Water Department (DPA) is carrying out similar experiences in General Conesa and San Javiernearly Viedma.
For its part, Mendoza has extensive experience with the subject and reuses the sewage water treated plants similar to those found in Black river for several decades and there are experiences from other Patagonian provinces such as Chubut who are moving in the same direction.
Also in Santa Rosaprovince of The Pampathe “Walking, Walking” Work Cooperative irrigates plantations of osiers, willows, poplars, ashes and other species with wastewater while in General Picothe Bioregión Limitada Work Cooperative developed in the last decade a 120-hectare wetland system for the treatment of sewage effluents, together with the Corpico cooperative, provider of urban sanitation and drinking water services in the town.
Further north, in the province of The RiojaFor a decade, the state-owned company Alfa has been planting 70 hectares of fodder such as alfalfa and will soon do so for forestry timber.
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Mendoza Waters
For the specialists, “it is important assess the reuse of wastewater treated within the framework of the need to make a increasingly efficient and responsible use of waterminimizing the impact of human activities about a resource that will result every time scarcer. This is more urgent in arid areas such as the southern region of Río Negro, but it should be a horizon to aim for in all places,” they concluded.
By Natalia Concina.-
This note is a production of Télam-Confiar, a platform with specialized information on science, health, environment and technology.
Source: Ambito
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