Treatment, Reuse, and Disposal of Drain Waters

Abstract

The treatment, reuse, and disposal of agricultural drainage water present formidable technical problems in the management of salts and associated trace elements. Although many promising treatment technologies and disposal methods have been identified and tested in minipilot plants, they need to be further developed before technical and economic feasibility can be established for full‐scale applications. Reuse of drainage is possible with salt‐tolerant crops, but has yet to be proven in large‐scale operations. Over time, salt buildup in soil system can be a problem. Brine recovery in solar gradient ponds for the generation of electrical power and salt harvesting for reclamation show promise both in theory and in pilot demonstration, but the economics of these integrated processes have yet to be proven for large‐scale operations. The technologies and economics of treatment, reuse, and disposal methods will require further research and development before they can be efficiently applied to solving drainage problems.