Reuse of wastewater effluent for irrigation in severely arid regions: Alternative schemes - a case study

Al-Hassa oasis, with an estimated population of 750000, is one of the main agricultural areas in Saudi Arabia. The estimated present agricultural water consumption in the oasis is almost 419 × 10 6 m 3 per year and the water is mainly supplied from the aquifer systems in the oasis. The climate is severely arid and the groundwater resources are limited. A deficiency in irrigation water supplies would occur in the oasis, especially during the summer season, without the reuse of wastewater effluent. Alternative schemes were developed on the basis of climatic, irrigation method, crop, health and economic considerations for the potential reuse of wastewater effluent for irrigation purposes. The schemes suggested different alternatives for reuse of the untreated effluent or with various types of additional treatments needed to render the water free of health hazards and suitable for agricultural use. An expected average wastewqter effluent of about 32.2 × 10 6 m 3 /year will be available for irrigation purposes. This will result in minimizing the mining of groundwater and in conserving the water resources in Al-Hassa oasis.