Addressing Impediments and Incentives for Agricultural Reuse

Water systems across the United States are facing unprecedented levels of stress arising from challenges such as a changing climate, aging infrastructure, and shifting patterns of water supply and demand. Agricultural water reuse has the potential to increase the resilience of water and agricultural systems through benefits such as supply diversification, access to an additional water supply, nutrient management, and compliance with water quality permits. However, realization of these benefits and scaling reuse are hindered by broad ranging, but surmountable barriers and tradeoffs. Part 1 of this report (Literature Review) provides a synthesis of the health and agronomic risks of agricultural water reuse in the context of current regulatory frameworks. Part 2 of this report (Guidebook) highlights specific strategies for addressing barriers to agricultural water reuse and includes thirteen profiles of projects and programs advancing agricultural water reuse. This work (WRF 4956) directly builds on the lessons learned in WRF 4775, Agricultural Use of Recycled Water: Impediments and Incentives, (Sheikh et al. 2019) and WRF 4829, Economic and Environmental Benefits of Agricultural Water Reuse (Thebo 2021). While the specific drivers and challenges of agricultural water reuse projects vary widely across contexts, several common themes emerged in this work. 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. State and federal agencies can support advancement of agricultural water reuse through robust capacity building programs and integration of co-benefits into funding programs. Science-based regulatory programs that are aligned with the needs of both water agencies and the agricultural sector can streamline permitting processes while remaining protective of human, agronomic, and environmental health. In combination, the research products developed in WRF 4956 aim to support water managers, regulators, and the agricultural sector in identifying and overcoming barriers to agricultural water reuse across diverse geographic and agricultural contexts in the United States.