Wastewater reclamation and reuse potentials in agriculture: towards environmental sustainability

Water scarcity is the major concern that impacts the global economy and the livelihood of mankind. Climate change, rapid population growth, freshwater pollution, and depletion are among the factors that aggravate the situation. Although not yet exhaustively exploited, reclamation and reuse of wastewater are considered as potential mechanisms to mitigate the challenge. In relation to reclamation, conventional wastewater treatment plants are designed to remove organic matter, total solids, and nutrients but fail to remove the emerging micropollutants. A decentralized wastewater treatment system is another potential and emerging approach for sustainable water reuse at the point of the wastewater generation. However, its application is not exclusively independent of the centralized system; rather the integration of the two systems is recommendable to depend on the local situations. To remove micropollutants, integrating advanced wastewater technologies should be considered as well as advanced analytical instruments for proper monitoring. Although the reuse of reclaimed water in crop irrigation is a well-established practice, it lacks uniformity across the globe. Furthermore, if not properly monitored, the reuse of reclaimed water also has adverse effects on the soil properties and public health. Therefore, the aim of this work is to review the impacts of global freshwater scarcity, water resources management and monitoring practice, state-of-the-art (waste)water treatment technologies and experience of reusing reclaimed water, particularly in agricultural irrigation.