Is reclaimed water safe for a vegetable garden?
 

How tainted with chemicals is the reclaimed water? Do you think it's safe if you water your vegetable plants with it?

Have you considered a rain barrel to collect water for your veggies?

I was under the impression that it was from the retention ponds. Animals live in the retention ponds.

Home Irrigation:
•North of CR 466, homes are irrigated with potable water.
•South of CR 466, homes are irrigated with non-potable water which is comprised of storm water runoff that is collected in water retention areas and groundwater from the lower Floridan aquifer when storm water supplies are not available.

Golf Course Irrigation:
•North of CR 466, golf courses are irrigated with a combination of reclaimed wastewater, storm water runoff that is collected in water retention areas, and groundwater (some upper Floridan and some Lower Floridan, depending on the specific course).
•South of CR 466 all golf courses are irrigated with a combination of reclaimed wastewater and lower Floridan groundwater.

From Wikipedia:

Reclaimed water or recycled water is former wastewater (sewage) that is treated to remove solids and impurities, and used in sustainable landscaping irrigation.........

I do have a rain barrel, but that's only good if it rains. We haven't had much lately.

I'm south of 466 so our irrigation water is reclaimed and not potable like it is north of 466. It sinks like heck, and I hate working on my sprinklers.

I'm wondering if that water would contaminate my veggies with the chemical runoff that comes off our lawns and golf courses?

When it is hot and the water has been sitting in the pipes, tiny germy things are growing due to the heat and darkness and they are stinky. You don't notice it so much when the temperature isn't this hot...That doesn't mean it will harm your plants...as you see it doesn't harm the grass or bushes, but you aren't eating things from your grass and bushes. It is possible that the chemicals used on your lawn would affect your vegetables. Buy them at the store where they have probably used similar ones.

If you want to know more, go to the jailhouse on 466 near Morse and they have experts there on how things grow, they are from The University Agricultural Extension. My husband just got advice on our Holly Bushes being kinda not lovely.

I wish I could remember where I saw it but somewhere in TV literature it said to NOT use the irrigation water for gardens. I had my irrigation heads adjusted so my garden veggies would not get wet from the lawn irrigation. I use my garden hose to water each plant with a dribble every couple days. I've got some tiny tomatoes starting.

Addendum: It was in the deed restrictions in the irrigation section.

You have the best idea! The amount of water from your garden hose is not going to jack up your water bill and most likely is a lot safer than the reclaimed water. Good luck on the tomatoes- homegrown ones have great flavor compared to the cardboard taste of supermarket tomatoes.
:MOJE_whot:

I can only imagine what the veggies you buy in Publix, or Winn Dixie that came from Mexico or Peru are covered with.

I had an herb garden in a pre-owned home we bought. I emailed a similar question to the U if FL agricultural dept about eating herbs watered by non-potable water. The consensus from the U of FL was that they wouldn't eat them. They didn't have direct studies they could quote but they kicked the question around to colleagues for a few weeks and said they could not recommend eating the herbs.

That is true. Kind of like going to a restaurant and not knowing what's going on in the kitchen we still eat out but, I wouldn't use irrigation water on something I was going to eat.

Exactly.

While I'm not an expert on the subject, I have also read that those 'organic' products that we pay more for are often fertilized with manure.

I would think that the bottom line is to always wash your veggies and fruits before consuming and not really worry about it (except for maybe lettuce, as mentioned in this article).

https://www.organicconsumers.org/old...tamination.php

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I've seen that done a few times now by a couple of different people and am wondering what it means?