Publications - Faculty - Recently Submitted Faculty Publications 2008
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Parsons - Proceedings of the 2009 Irrigation Association Meeting
Lawrence R. Parsons
Abstract. Florida is the largest producer of reclaimed water in the U. S., and this water has become an important alternate water source for Florida. The purpose of this paper is to discuss several issues related to reclaimed water use in Florida. While agriculture was initially the largest user of reclaimed water, golf courses and landscape irrigation now utilize more. Initially, growers refused to accept reclaimed water because of concerns over salinity, heavy metals, and potential disease organisms. These fears were proved to be unfounded, and most citrus growers and residential users now accept reclaimed water. Studies have shown that reclaimed water promotes excellent citrus tree growth. Reclaimed water has an excellent safety record, and has been used successfully in Florida for more than 40 years with no reported incidents of illness. While citrus trees can extract adequate amounts of some micronutrients, they are not able to take up sufficient nitrogen from reclaimed water. Hence, fertilization is still necessary when using reclaimed water. While not usually a problem, salinity can sometimes be an issue in coastal areas. Periodic droughts since 2000 and fewer restrictions on reclaimed water for irrigation have increased demand for this water. Reclaimed water has become an important source to help meet growing urban water needs. With increasing population, reclaimed water will continue to play a significant role in overall Florida water management.
