Addressing Impediments and Incentives for Agricultural Reuse

Agricultural water reuse has the potential to increase resilience of water and agricultural systems through benefits such as irrigation enhancement, nutrient management, water supply diversification, and compliance with water quality permits. However, wide-ranging yet surmountable barriers and tradeoffs hinder realization of these benefits and scaling reuse. This project features a guidebook highlighting specific strategies for addressing barriers to agricultural water reuse, and it includes case studies.

While the specific drivers and challenges could vary widely across contexts, the most successful agricultural water reuse projects invariably address multiple objectives and deliver co-benefits to diverse stakeholders. They do this through early, ongoing, and strategic stakeholder engagement and partnerships. This guidebook supports water managers, regulators, and the agricultural sector in identifying and overcoming barriers to agricultural water reuse across diverse geographic and agricultural contexts. Published in 2023. Research partners: Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.