Treated wastewater usage for irrigation can save freshwater to ensure food security: Netafim

The use of treated wastewater for irrigation can help in water conservation, thereby increasing the availability of water for agriculture and helping to combat food scarcity, according to sustainable solution provider Netafim.

The firm will be explaining how treated wastewater can ensure food security and offer agronomic and environmental benefits through its session ‘Using wastewater for irrigation: An effort that is worth making’ at WATEC Israel 2015, a global conference on water technologies.

Global population rise has been affecting the water usage worldwide, with agriculture accounting for 70% of all freshwater withdrawals.

With the population expected to rise by more than 30% by 2050, freshwater withdrawals are also expected to increase by 55%. This will necessitate an increase in the available water supply for irrigation to avoid food scarcity.

Netafim, which had been established in 1965, initially intended to help Israeli farmers overcome the severe water shortage issues.

The firm favours drip irrigation and invests for water saving technology innovations for improvement of irrigational efficiency.

Netafim Americas head and this week’s WATEC panel session chairperson Dr Yoav Zeif said: "Israel is the overwhelming global leader in treated wastewater usage in irrigation, with about 50% of its effluent treated and used for irrigation.

"Based on our experience, we are convinced that using treated wastewater in drip irrigation is one of the ways we can overcome the global food scarcity challenge.

"Drip irrigation also offers a ‘clean’ way to dispose of wastewater that otherwise cannot be released to nature, as well as other significant environmental benefits, to further ensure a sustainable future."

The firm has teamed up with Sustainable Conservation and De Jager Farms in the US for developing advanced drip irrigation technology for Dairy Farm Forage Crop Applications.