ABSTRACT
Some of the water that is reused includes treated municipal wastewater which must be applied in accordance with increasingly stringent regulations. California's annual water balance depends on the difference between annual water inflow and annual water outflow. Land application of municipal wastewater is a well-established practice in California. According to a California State Department of Health Services survey, in 1977 wastewater was reclaimed at over 200 treatment plants and was applied to more than 360 locations. The greatest potential for reclaimed municipal wastewater contributing to water supplies is in coastal regions or elsewhere where wastewater is lost from the fresh water system by discharge to the ocean or other saline bodies. The manual presents a detailed treatment of special topics related to irrigation with reclaimed municipal wastewater rather than a “broad-brush” treatment of the entire field of irrigation system planning and design. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
