The paper reports results of treated wastewater reuse field experiments carried out in Apulia (SouthernItaly). Fennel and lettuce were irrigated with four different water sources: three reclaimed wastewaterstreams, obtained by applying different treatment schemes to the same municipal wastewater, and aconventional source (well water). Differences between the three effluents were significant in terms ofsuspended solids and faecal indicators. Both lettuce and fennel yields were enhanced by the high contentof nutrients in the effluent of one of the treatment plants, which had been operated for partial nitrogenremoval. In particular, fennel productivity was enhanced by replacing chemical fertirrigation with thesupply of nutrients contained in the irrigation water.

Results of field experiments of wastewater reuse are presented. Two different crops (fennel and lettuce) were grown in succession on sandy loam soil and drip irrigated with three water sources: the effluent of the local full scale municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), the effluent of a pilot scale non-conventional treatment technology, and a conventional source (well water). In order to evaluate the effects of higher ammonia and nitrate concentrations on crop yields and quality, the pilot plant was operated for partial nitrogen removal (mainly nitrification). Results showed that the pilot plant had better removal performance in terms of suspended solids and faecal indicators with respect to the full scale WWTP. As for the agronomic results, crop yields were significantly higher in plots irrigated with treated wastewater.

Results of field experiments of wastewater reuse are presented. Fennel and lettuce were irrigated with four different water sources: three reclaimed wastewater streams, obtained by applying different treatment schemes to the same municipal wastewater, and a conventional source. Differences between the three effluents were significant in terms of suspended solids and faecal indicators. Both lettuce and fennel yields were enhanced by the high content of nutrients in the effluent of one of the treatment plants, which had been operated for partial nitrogen removal. Substituting chemical fertigation with the supplying of nutrients contained in the irrigation water enhanced fennel productivity.

Il riutilizzo a fini irrigui delle acque reflue è in continuo aumento a causa della crescente scarsità di risorse idriche e della necessità di garantire la tutela dell'ambiente. In Italia, ed in particolare in Puglia, tale pratica non è ancora inserita stabilmente nelle politiche gestionali delle risorse idriche e, nonostante il Piano di Tutela delle Acque e gli attuali indirizzi politici favoriscono il riuso, la sua reale implementazione sconta difficoltà e ritardi dovuti a: 1) Requisiti qualitativi degli effluenti fortemente restrittivi imposti dalla legge 185/03, che si riflettono nella necessità di impianti complessi sul pianotecnologico e gestionale e in costi di trattamento elevati 2) Negativa percezione da parte di agricoltori, mass-media e presidi autorizzativi, relativa ai rischi associati all'impiego in agricoltura dei reflui depurati. Tra i 14 partecipanti al progetto In.Te.R.R.A. Intesis, operando trasversalmente su quasi tutti gli obiettivi realizzativi del progetto (OR1-OR2-OR3-OR4), ha progettato e sta realizzando un innovativo sistema di telecontrollo e telegestione degli impianti oggetto di sperimentazione, a partire dalla misura dei parametri qualitativi dell'acqua depurata da destinare all'uso irriguo. Il sistema di telecontrollo si basa su una infrastruttura hardware (server ridondato, storage, gateway VPN, rete) sicura e affidabile, realizzata presso il Data Center Intesis e sull'implementazione di diversi applicativi SCADA rispondenti al paradigma del Cloud Computing. In questo contesto, una compagine di soggetti pubblici e privati, coordinata dal Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Vegetali della Università degli Studi di Bari,ha presentato il progetto PON "Ricerca & Competititività" 2007-2013 In.Te.R.R.A. per lo sviluppo e la sperimentazione di "INnovazioni TEcnologiche e di processo per il Riutilizzo irriguo delle acque Reflue urbane e Agro-industriali ai fini della gestione sostenibile delle risorse idriche". Il portale realizzato da Intesis nell'ambito del progetto "In.Te.R.R.A." è stato utilizzato dai partner dello stesso progetto per il controllo degli impianti sperimentali e per l'acquisizione di dati in tempo reale. L'IRSA-CNR ha cercato di sfruttare tutte le potenzialità del portale sin dalla sua prima pubblicazione (ottobre 2012), partecipando, come utente critico, al miglioramento dello stesso.

In order to mitigate water stress in the Mediterranean area, treated municipal wastewater is among the most readily available alternative water resources. Apulia (Southern Italy) is one of the Mediterranean regions most heavily affected by water shortage, although its economy is strongly based on irrigated agriculture. Nevertheless in Apulia only 1% of treated wastewater potentially available for reuse in agriculture is presently used, mainly because of regulatory constraints and public acceptance. Within the EU funded project Water4Crops different types of treatment schemes are applied at the pilot scale to treat municipal wastewater and polish secondary effluents for reuse in irrigation. In the present study, results from test field experiments carried out at Castellana Grotte (Apulia) are presented. Three different crops (processing tomato, fennel and lettuce) were grown in succession on sandy loam soil and drip irrigated with three water sources: the effluent of the local full scale municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), the effluent of a pilot scale non-conventional treatment technology, and a conventional source (well water). The full scale WWTP is composed of a conventional activated sludge process followed by sand filtration, coagulation-flocculation and chlorination (conventional tertiary treatment). The pilot plant is an integrated process scheme called IFAS/MBR (Integrated Fixed-film Activated Sludge/Membrane BioReactor) followed by UV disinfection. In order to evaluate the effects of higher ammonia and nitrate concentrations on crop yields and quality, the IFAS/MBR pilot plant was operated for partial nitrogen removal (mainly nitrification). Reclaimed water quality was monitored in terms of chemical and microbiological parameters and compared with conventional well water. Microbiological indicators were also measured at harvesting time in soil and on the edible parts of crops. Chemical analyses of soil and crops were also performed in order to assess possible variations across the different water sources adopted. Results showed that the pilot plant had better removal performance in terms of suspended solids and faecal indicators with respect to the full scale WWTP. The effluent of the full scale WWTP compliedwith the Italian standards for reuse in agriculture, except for chlorine and E. Coli, while the effluent of the pilot plant exceeded the limit values only in terms of ammonia and nitrate. As for the agronomic results, crop yields where significantly higher in plots irrigated with treated wastewater. In particular the higher content of nitrates in the pilot plants effluent strongly enhanced the lettuce yield. Microbiological indicators E.Coli and Salmonella were never detected in soil and edible parts at harvesting time.