REMOVAL OF TURBIDITY OUT OF RAW WATER FOR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS BY MEANS OF FILTRATION IN MULTIPLE STAGES USING HIGH APPLICATION RATES

Localized irrigation is an important technique for a high yield of agricultural crops. Nonetheless, use of raw water with high turbidity is the cause of obstructions in sprinklers and deterioration of irrigation systems. Then, it is necessary to treat raw water to reduce present solids and avoid this problem. This research study aimed at evaluating MSF technology for raw water treatment to use in irrigation systems. A pilot plant with PVC pipe, gravel and sand was built, two types of raw water were tested with different Initial Turbidity levels (100 and 200 NTU) and different application rates (100, 160, 240 and 360 m3m-2d-1). Tests showed 94% turbidity removal efficiencies and 4 NTU final turbidity for initial turbidity waters of 100 NTU; and 16 NTU for initial Turbidity waters of 200 NTU. By applying a complete treatment train of MSF to water samples with high turbidity, it is possible to guarantee non-obstruction of nozzles from the sprinklers and their continuous use in high performance crops