Treatment wastewater for irrigation in rural areas of low and middle income countries can address both public health challenges and water scarcity. While wastewater treatment is extensively practiced in some high income countries, like Israel, it remains very rare elsewhere.
This study evaluates how simple treatment systems in Punjab, India, which use wastewater from village ponds for irrigation, are perceived and valued by local farmers, and whether it carries economic benefits that justify its costs. Data from the field is collected to compare the usage and costs of fresh water, either ground or surface, raw wastewater and treated wastewater.
The study will evaluate differences in the costs of electricity for pumping, water and fertilizers, as well as effects on soils and on crops.