Abstract
The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of wastewater reuse for the vegetable farming. The study region, about 250 ha in size, is located on the west coast of Jejudo, Korea. Major agricultural products of the study area are the cabbage, broccoli, garlic and onion. To confirm the feasibility of wastewater reuse, the drought duration and the water requirement analysis were conducted respectively. The average annual precipitation of the study region (1,121 mm) was smaller than that of Jeju island (1,975 mm). The drought duration for a ten-year return period in October through November was more than 20 days. The water requirement for irrigation was calculated by the FAQ Penman-Monteith method which took into account the cultivated crops, planting system, and meteorological conditions of the study region. The water requirement for a ten-year return period was estimated 4.7 mm/day and the water demand for irrigation was $4,584\;m^3/day$. As a result, the irrigation water for the crops was insufficient during their breeding season, especially in October through November. Thus, the result indicated that the study region required the alternative water supply such as wastewater reuse during the non-rainy season. As drought continues to place considerable stress on the availability of fresh water supplies in the study region, irrigation with reclaimed wastewater will play an important role in helping to meet future water demands.
