Water Use in the Landscape: A Comparison of Water Quality and Irrigation Technologies on Behavior

Abstract

In the face of increasing water scarcity and urban growth, reusing and recycling water is an important component of integrated water management (Asano et al., 2007). Wastewater can be reclaimed or reused when blackwater or greywater is treated to water quality standards that support intended end uses, including irrigation, flushing toilets, and potable purposes. Dual reticulation schemes provide reclaim water for non-potable uses by distributing reclaim water through a pipe network that is distinct from the potable water pipe network (Hambly et al., 2012;Libralato et al., 2012;Okun, 1997). In 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that the United States produces 32 billion gallons of wastewater per day, of which approximately 7%-8% is directly reclaimed (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012).Water reuse programs are used for urban water demand management to conserve potable water resources, defer the need for the expansion of drinking water infrastructure, and reduce the volume of treated wastewater discharged to the environment. Planning water reuse programs is a complex task, however, and must consider both technical infrastructure design and social factors (Kandiah et al., 2017(Kandiah et al., , 2019Prouty et al., 2018). The utilization of reclaim water by customers can drive the success or failure of a water reuse program, and some water reuse programs have had limited public engagement due to perceived dirtiness and fear of public health crises (