Wastewater reuse for citrus orchard irrigation in the Jordan Valley, Middle East

This article examines the feasibility of reusing treated municipal wastewater for irrigating citrus in the Jordan Valley, Middle East. The study frames wastewater as a supplementary irrigation resource under water scarcity and evaluates water quality, orchard performance, and health safeguards. Using publicly available records and farm-level panel data, we compare groundwater, secondary effluent, and effluent polished through nature-based treatment, focusing on electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, biochemical oxygen demand, and indicator organisms alongside yield and water productivity. A composite irrigation suitability index and a before-after comparison are applied to orchards supplied by different sources. Results show that polished effluent met agronomic thresholds for drip irrigation while improving water productivity and stabilizing yields under drought allocation constraints. Risk management relies on conveyance integrity, filtration, and disinfection at the point of use. The findings support adaptive irrigation portfolios that integrate reclaimed flows with conventional sources while maintaining crop quality and public health.

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