Control of clogging in drip irrigation with stored treated municipal sewage effluent

Abstract Emitter clogging is a major problem incurred in the operation of drip irrigation systems, especially when these systems utilize treated wastewater effluent stored in surface reservoirs. In an attempt to seek solutions to the problems arising from the presence of suspended particles, algae, zooplankton and other organisms in the reservoirs, as well as to prevent clogging in the supply lines and in downstream sections of the drip laterals, a series of filter and drip emitter clogging trials was set up. The trials were conducted with two water supplies. The first (1987–1990) was water from the Kfar Barukh reservoir, which stores storm run-off, treated sewage effluent and National Carrier water. The second (1991–1992) was water from the Burgata reservoir, which stores only secondary effluents. This paper reports on the performance of manual and automatic screens, discs and media filters and of different types of emitters, as well as on the effect of chemical treatments designed to control clogging.