The quality of waste water ...

Published by

The quality of waste water for irrigation depends on the type of waste water you are talking about. Raw frac and mining waste water may contain harmful levels of hazardous substances and metals, which often adhere to the surface of plants or are consumed by the plants (heavy metals are frequently consumed by plants and retained in their fatty tissues). Household waste water should not be from toilets. Only in rural areas, where septic tanks are used, would the water possibly be clarified enough and have low enough CFU's to be usable for irrigation. Lastly, in the western US, water rights laws still forbid recycling household water. Only recently have private homes been allowed to collect and use rainwater.