Comparison of international standards for irrigation with reclaimed water

Water shortage problems have received wide attention since the past decades as the global environment and climate continue to change. To tackle with this escalating challenge, generations of study has been conducted in the research for water utilization efficiency. Reclaimed water has been widely used in many countries for in-dustry, agriculture and landscape. Despite the economic value and environmental benefits the reclaimed water brings,. contents such as heavy metal ions, organic pollutants and pathogenic microorganisms may enter the soil -plant-atmosphere system, thus posing potential environmental health risks. Therefore, many laws, guidelines and standards have been published to maintain the security of irrigation with reclaimed water. This paper compares the standards of irrigation with reclaimed water among different organizations and countries by analyzing the similarities and differences from different types of classification and water quality parameters requirements, in which their advantages and limitations are demonstrated. Finally, some suggestions are provided for future development and modification of the relevant standards in this field.