Whenever there is a drought, Jamaican households go without water and crops yields are affected. There is also an increase in water-borne illnesses such as gastroenteritis. One method for overcoming the problems associated with occasions of drought in Jamaica is reclaiming water.
Reclamation of water is the treatment or processing of wastewater to make it reusable. Treatment involves the physical separation of particles followed by the use of microorganisms to remove dissolved organic matter and finally chlorine, ultraviolet radiation or ozone to make water suitable for human consumption. In the United States, this practice began at the beginning of the 19th century in Arizona and California. The recycled water was utilized to irrigate lawns and gardens and was also used as cooling water. Currently, US installations in California and Florida mainly use ozone based reclamation processes because it provides superior disinfection and micro pollutant reduction.
The benefits of recycling water are of such that many countries have embraced it in some form. Israel began using recycled water in 1965 to irrigate crops; in 1984 Tokyo used recycled water to flush toilets and in 1999 in Australia wastewater reclaimed from a treatment plant was used to irrigate vegetable crops
The Monterey (California) Regional Water Pollution Control Agency did a study in 1987 which they updated in 1998 which showed that recycled water from a nearby waste water treatment plant was as safe as well water when used to irrigate food crops. In 2003 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection stated at the 19th Annual Water Reuse Symposium that there was no evidence or documentation of any disease associated with water reuse systems in the United States or in other countries that have reasonable standards for reuse.
The reuse of water has been done safely and has been beneficial for many countries and can be beneficial for Jamaica as well. Reclaiming water can serve as a protection against droughts for Jamaicans who are consistently without water during periods of little or no rainfall. Jamaican farmers consistently face challenges with the supply of water to irrigate crops. Reuse water could be beneficial in this regard and lead to economic stability.
The challenge of water reclamation is developing the infrastructure. While the process is well proven around the world, the safe production of reclaimed water requires significant capital investment. Given the potential to help countries such as Jamaica, organizations like the UN, World Bank and similar organizations may be able to make loans to support such development.