Using treated wastewater for irrigation in Slovenia : opportunities, risks and systemic frameworks

Železnikar, Špela (author), Istenič, Darja (author)

Water is a key natural resource essential for life and societal development, making its sustainable management increasingly important. One promising approach to preserving water resources is the use of treated wastewater (TWW) as an alternative source for agricultural irrigation. TWW refers to water that has undergone at least secondary treatment and basic disinfection, making it suitable for reuse after discharge from municipal wastewater treatment plants. Despite the available quantities of TWW and an established legislative framework, its practical application in Slovenia remains limited. This contribution examines the opportunities and challenges associated with introducing TWW for irrigation and highlights the need for a systematic approach to ensure its safe and efficient use. The study analyses the legislative framework at both the European and national levels and provides an overview of current practices as well as the technical and institutional challenges influencing the implementation of TWW reuse. An assessment of the potential for TWW use in Slovenia was conducted, taking into account the available volumes, treatment levels, and the spatial distribution of wastewater treatment plants in relation to agricultural land.

• Language: English
• Keywords: municipal wastewater, reuse, agriculture, climate change
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty; ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 121, no. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-176931
• UDC: 631
• ISSN on article: 1854-1941
• DOI: 10.14720/aas.2025.121.4.24412
• COBISS.SI-ID: 261468163
• Publication date in RUL: 15.12.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta agriculturae Slovenica
• Publisher: Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za agronomijo in Oddelek za zootehniko, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za agronomijo in Oddelek za zootehniko, Univerza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1854-1941
• COBISS.SI-ID: 219581184

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Prečiščena odpadna voda za namakanje v Sloveniji: potencial, tveganja in sistemske rešitve
• Keywords: prečiščena odpadna voda, ponovna uporaba, kmetijstvo, klimatske spremembe