As communities grow and water availability becomes more of a concern, many communities are looking at reclaimed water use for conserving and extending water supplies. Reclaimed water use can also reduce the cost of water treatment, thus reducing water bills for homeowners. By putting reclaimed water on cropland, the need for fertilizers is reduced. Nutrients contained in reclaimed water replace some of the fertilizers needed by crops. This reduces fertilizer cost to farmers.
Crops use the nutrients, and bacteria that remain in the reclaimed water die off.
In many ways, agricultural reclaimed water use is a low-tech practice. After sewage is treated, the resulting reclaimed water is tested to ensure that it meets federal and state water quality standards. When weather conditions are suitable for irrigation, reclaimed water is applied to the soil. Methods of applying reclaimed water into fields may include various kinds of sprayers and drip irrigation systems. The method of application varies depending on terrain, cost, distances to streams and lakes, and proximity to food crops, water supplies, grazing and other public uses.