Recycling: Realizing a New Water Cycle
Farmers in drought-stricken California have learned to use water more efficiently.
California has enacted mandatory water use restrictions for its 38 million residents, and the agriculture industry is dealing with reduced water allocations from the state. But farmers who have already been using water efficiently are reaping the benefits of their foresight.
Planning ahead
“Regardless of whether the state’s in drought, there has been a focus on water stewardship,” says James duBois, water resource manager for the southern district at Driscoll’s, a fruit shipper and marketer that sources from independent growers, many in California. The company began efforts to reduce the amount of water required to establish new strawberry plants as far back as 2008.
“We’re seeking to reduce the amount of time that traditional sprinklers are used, or change them out for micro-sprinklers that more precisely apply water where the plant needs it,” adds duBois. “They have a lower flow rate, so you can use them for the same amount of time, but their discharge of water per hour is significantly lower.”
Employing soil moisture monitoring devices that can be accessed remotely, ensures that plants only get watered when they need it.
Water recycling
In more urban areas of the state, half the water use occurs indoors, so cities are beginning to view wastewater as another resource. “It’s not available everywhere, but there are places where we have access to recycled water,” duBois says.
One of those places is Oxnard, California, where the Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) captures and filters some of the 22 million gallons of water the city discharges daily. “We started delivering to our first recycled water customer in April,” says Linda Poksay, water conservation manager for the city. Using a combination of processes used by hospitals and commercial beverage companies, the AWPF sterilizes the city’s wastewater and removes minerals and other contaminants like viruses and salts.
Eventually, the AWPF will be able to treat 18.75 million gallons of water per day, Poksay says. For now, it’s only approved for use in landscaping, but agricultural use will start soon. According to the California Water Boards, in August the city’s Groundwater Recovery Enhancement and Treatment program will begin delivering 165 million gallons of recycled water each month to farmers in Ventura County.
“We’ve been a supporter of the development of that project for quite some time,” duBois says. “You can address water scarcity two ways: you can reduce the demand, or you can increase the supply.”