Feasibility of unconventional water (municipal wastewater) consumption in agriculture using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

The beneficial use of unconventional water resources for sustainable agriculture, taking into account the environmental impacts and economic returns, is a multi-criteria decision-making process based on the value of each criterion. In this research, after collecting resources and extracting decision making criteria regarding the use of wastewater in agriculture, a hierarchical structure based on two technical-economical and environmental factors is prepared and using a hierarchical analysis in the GIS software environment, the feasibility of using wastewater for cultivation of 10 common crops was carried out in Golestan province. The irrigation water fairness, the techno-economical distance from the outlet of the treatment plant and the suitability of the land for cultivating are from the technical-economical sub-criteria And the quality of irrigation water, soil, plant and aquifer vulnerability are the environmental criteria of this structure. Also, some parameters such as slope, topography, land use, depth of soil and technical permissible distance were considered as limiting factors. The results of this feasibility study, which was carried out using data from Kurdokoy wastewater treatment plant, Despite the low utilization rate of all plants due to lack of utility parameters such as nitrate, microbial contamination and aquifer vulnerability, which had the highest sensitivity and relative weight, cotton and canola have the highest desirable yield of 10 common crops In the area covered by the wastewater plant.