ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICATION OF TREATED WASTEWATER AND SEWAGE SLUDGE IN PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURE: A CASE STUDY FROM NORTHERN JORDAN

With the rapid expansion of development in Jordan, more water resources are being consumed and, consequently, incremental quantities of wastewater and sewage sludge are being generated from wastewater treatment plants. These quantities will end up in streams, open ponds or one of the other environmental media, which can cause adverse impacts on human health and the environment. In the mean while, a country like Jordan faces a remarkable shortage of fresh water resources and poor soil. The best way to mitigate the adverse impacts and compensate the water budget and enrich the poor soil is through the proper utilization and management of treated wastewater and sewage sludge in the agricultural sector. One of the main obstacles to this is public rejection of this solution, largely due to lack of information.
The purpose of this paper was to examine the acceptability to the Jordanian farmers of the utilization of reclaimed wastewater and treated sewage sludge in their irrigation activities. The scope of this study considered two potential areas at the northern part of the country, where a representative sample of local farmers were interviewed. The results were very encouraging and positive signs of acceptability were shown at all levels. These results were analyzed and documented and the recommendations are developed at the end of this paper.