Review Paper on Use of Sequencing Batch Reactor Treated Wastewater on Urban Agriculture

Wastewater use in agriculture is much more commonplace than many believe. At present, approximately 20 million hectares of arable land worldwide are reported to be irrigated with wastewater. The unreported use of wastewater in agriculture can be expected to be significantly higher. It is particularly common in urban and peri-urban areas of the developing world, where insufficient financial resources and institutional capacities constrain the installment and operation of adequate facilities for proper wastewater collection and treatment. Wastewater use in agriculture has certain benefits, providing water and nutrients for the cultivation of crops, ensuring food supply to cities and reducing the pressure on available fresh water resources. However, wastewater is also a source of pollution, and can affect the health of users, consumers and the environment if safe practices are not applied. While populations and urban areas are growing at unprecedented rates and water scarcity is increasing, it is expected that, in the near future, the use of wastewater in agriculture will increase further in areas where fresh water is scarce.