Irrigation in urban landscapes : effectiveness of recycled water for sporting fields

This study aims at evaluating the effect of applying different types of recycled water on Kikuyu grass which is a very popular turf grass used for Australian urban lands as well as sporting fields. Three identical columns were irrigated with tap water (TW) as control water and two types of treated wastewater namely MBR (Membrane Bioreactor) and IDAL (Intermittently Decanted Aerated Lagoon). Salinity level for both treated wastewaters was similar while MBR had a higher level of nutrients compared to IDAL. Grass dry matter yield and nutrient level were monitored and analysed regularly. The highest dry matter yield was achieved from the column irrigated with MBR. The second highest dry matter yield obtained from potable water and amount of dry matter yield from IDAL was far lower than the other two columns. Based on these results, it can be concluded that it is more beneficial to sue secondary treated wastewater for irrigation of urban lands, thus saving in water and chemical fertilisers. Moreover, significant saving in the treatment costs can be achieved by not adopting tertiary of advanced treatment system.