With the increasing water struggles facing growers these days, it is no wonder we see a rise in the demand for water reclamation, treatment, and reuse. Traditional growing practices include drip irrigation, flood irrigation, and overhead sprinkler irrigation for crops planted directly in the soil. The drain water from these irrigation events is often unseen as it leaches through the soil profile back into the underground water source. Regulatory pressure will eventually demand that this drain water is limited, tested, and proven safe for reentry into the water supply. This opens the eyes to many growers to alternative growing practices such as outdoor soilless substrate farms, greenhouse growing, and indoor vertical farms.

With these alternative growing practices, the drain water is more visible and calculable. We can determine precise drain amounts via sensors, calculations and timing, and advanced cultural techniques. However, this drain water must now be collected and disposed of in some manner. Nitrate removal systems are now available to allow growers the potential for a safe discharge. Some urban indoor farms are even paying trucking services to remove water from their facilities. But the obvious question is, why can’t we reuse this water?

Irrigation drain water from soilless farms has the potential for bacterial growth and other potentially harmful organisms that we would not want to introduce into the system. However, the water is nutrient-rich and can provide benefits to the crops and the fertilizer budget for many growers. The solution for these challenges is not easy and is one of the most significant objections we find when providing drain water treatment solutions. But for many growers this will be a must-have addition.