Planning of Integrated systems for supply of natural water and unconventional resource in agriculture: the feasibility municipal secondary effluents reuse in irrigation districts in Apulia Region,

Municipal wastewater reuse represents a topic of real interest due to the potential for environmental impact reduction and the availability of “unconventional” water resource. This paper examines some of the main aspects involved in the planning of the reuse of treated secondary effluents in irrigation supply systems which use a primarily “conventional” natural source (surface water and groundwater). To evaluate the feasibility of such an action, the main aspects to be investigated are both technical-operative and economical. In order to make evidence the critical issue and the real potential reuse finalized to supply irrigation district which are localized in semi-arid climate in Mediterranean areas, based on a large review of research described in scientific literature concerning treatment process, three case studies in Apulia region have been described and analyzed.