If you’re using reclaimed water for irrigation or thinking about starting to use reclaimed water, you may be concerned about potential problems that can arise. High salt levels, high pH or contamination are a few things that you may run into. With the right products, these problems can be alleviated.
If you encounter any challenges, performing a soil test or a water test may help you determine the exact cause and figure out some paths to healthier plants.
Salts may build up in the soil, reducing the water movement and damaging the soil makeup. Salt can also harm plants that are planted nearby, so watch your plants for a good indication of high salt levels in the soil.
Solution: You can increase the organic levels in the soil to help sequester salts. By sequestering the salts, you are allowing for the soil to have a chance to create an environment plants can survive in. Mirimichi Green offers products that neutralize the buildup of salts. LiveEarth’s organic humate absorbs salts. Holganix’s granular products and Screamin’ Green organic fertilizer sequester salts.
Having a high pH level can lock up the nutrients in your soil, making them less available to plants.
Solution: “Sometimes efforts to treat the water can only go so far, so extra steps to treat the soil need to be taken,” said Hunter Williams, manager at Ewing’s Chandler, Ariz., location. “Professionals and homeowners can add organics, carbon sources and sulfur/gypsum/lime to help maintain optimal pH in the soils.”
Gypsum and elemental sulfur can help to adjust the pH levels of your soil.
While reclaimed water is treated at a wastewater plant, there may still be some contaminants and other substances in the water. These contaminants may be from a variety of sources due to human use.
Solution: The best course of action to counteract any contamination reclaimed water may have is to make the soil as healthy as possible for the plants, through the use of organic soil amendments. Healthy soil creates an environment the plants are better able to respond to challenges they may face.
Have you experienced these or other problems? Post a comment to share how you overcame any challenges you’ve faced with reclaimed water!