Symbiotic utilisation system

Abstract

The invention relates to a symbiotic utilisation system, symbiosis between a trickling filter and agricultural, sports, or recreational green spaces, designed in three parts: a lower part (20) for drainage and treatment, formed by a waterproofed basin, preferably filled with gravel, with a lower drain (19) for the outflow of water and its subsequent recirculation; an intermediate part (21) consisting of gravel with a finer grain size than that in the lower section, which houses an underground water application system with automatic cleaning; and an upper part (22) formed by a layer of porous and permeable sand, isolated against capillary action of the applied water, which has a second freshwater supply network, and where the plant roots are forced to grow deeper towards the drainage zone to obtain wastewater and / or brackish water.

Description

Symbiotic utilization system

[0001] The present invention relates to an irrigation system that allows the direct use of brackish water and / or untreated wastewater for agricultural, sports and ornamental crops that develop in perfect symbiosis with the water treatment on which they are located.

[0002] In this unique symbiotic relationship, the green spaces contribute their unparalleled beauty, the area they occupy, and the economic value they enhance in their surroundings. Furthermore, the landscaping process provides both its unquestionable environmental justification and the availability of water resources. Thus, the green spaces are established with a guaranteed and environmentally sound water supply, and the landscaping process avoids neighborhood opposition to its installation, prevents water loss due to consumption, eliminates the costs associated with land use, and significantly improves its aesthetic appeal.

[0003] This symbiotic system even allows for the capture of wastewater from any urban municipal sewer to supply irrigation water for nearby parks and gardens, all within a system that is 100% compatible with a recreational green space and without barriers. It can also capture brine from a desalination plant, before its final discharge or evaporation, to create, for example, waterless greenhouses.

[0004] It is, therefore, a mixed system that belongs both to the field of agriculture and to that of wastewater treatment, where the crops developed apparently increase their tolerance to water qualities that, outside of this system, would be unsuitable for cultivation.

[0005] In the present case, the water treatment that allows irrigation with untreated wastewater and / or brackish water has nothing to do with desalination techniques, nor with botanical engineering, and is entirely due to the design of the irrigation device itself, which connects a cultivation area with the waters of an underlying percolating filter.

[0006] It is important to note that plant tolerance levels to salts and various organic contaminants have always been calculated for conventional irrigation systems, which, not being designed for this type of water, have yielded higher intolerance levels than those calculated with the present symbiotic system. This has been made possible by avoiding the following negative aspects that these waters typically cause: Watering during the early stages of plant growth, when they are much more vulnerable; reduced gas diffusion capacity in the root zone; and increased salinity of the water absorbed by plant roots.

[0007] The first problem is solved with an alternative supply network or rainwater itself, these being the only water resources that the plants receive in their early development phase; To maintain the diffusion power of the gases, the present system creates a very porous and permeable growing substrate that does not come into contact with wastewater or brackish water, not even by capillary action, forcing the plant roots to descend to a biological gravel bed, which remains unaltered, without generating waterlogging; And to avoid the progressive increase in the salinity of the water, the present system carries out an underground application of the water, with large and constant recharge rates and a recirculation that prevents the precipitation of salts and their subsequent contact with the root zone. STATE OF THE ART:

[0008] AGRICULTURE

[0009] In this sector, irrigation procedures have been located that employ various natural desalination systems, such as soil heat US3528251 or solar evaporation US5067272 and RU2800824 to be able to irrigate with saline water or cultivate in saline soils, no similarities being detected with the present invention which does not employ any desalination system, either natural or artificial.

[0010] Patents such as US3408818 have also been described that use upward capillarity for the supply of plants from underground conduits, capillarity being a natural effect that has been expressly avoided in the present invention.

[0011] And other methods, such as US4117685, which allows for the irrigation of different plants with varying freshwater requirements by adjusting the depth of water intake. No similarities with the present invention have been found either.

[0012] WASTEWATER TREATMENT

[0013] When comparing the present invention with the technologies in this sector, it is important to take into account that this irrigation system has a Percolating Filter or Trickling Filter structure (C02F 3 / 04) that generates an additional aerobic biological treatment to the irrigation and works by infiltration of water into a porous medium, in the presence of air.

[0014] US patent 2002175116 is considered the starting point of the present invention, as it also involves a trickling filter, which in this case functions as a tertiary wastewater treatment system. This filter incorporates a sandy upper layer for the capillary growth of the lower application system, thus achieving a symbiotic purification process with the plants. However, while this system functions correctly from a treatment standpoint, it causes progressive waterlogging of the upper layer, creating areas of anoxia and precipitation that hinder optimal plant development and, consequently, the aforementioned symbiotic cultivation. Furthermore, the use of brackish water is not viable under any circumstances.

[0015] To solve this serious problem, the present invention has modified the design of the water application system and its location within the percolating filter. This prevents the cultivation sands from absorbing water from the percolating filter by capillary action, forcing the roots of the planted crops to grow down to the gravel to meet their needs. Furthermore, the present invention includes a second water application system for the cultivation area, using treated, non-saline water. This water is essential during the initial growth phase of the plants, enabling their development and maintaining the growing substrate in optimal condition.

[0016] Another innovation has been the expansion of the system for primary and secondary treatment, in addition to tertiary treatment; the incorporation of a recirculation rate of the treated irrigation water into the system itself, which is vital for both wastewater and brackish water; and apart from these differences, the present invention provides all the necessary details for the design and construction of the irrigation system, starting with a complete flow scheme with the water, air, and sludge lines and the details of all the necessary installations, beginning with the conditioning of the wastewater, its pumping to the irrigation areas, and its collection, which finally allows, after disinfection, the reuse of the used and regenerated water.

[0017] Furthermore, the new patent is basically geared towards irrigation with untreated wastewater and brackish water, which is not the subject of the aforementioned patent, nor is it described as an objective, nor as any of its advantages.

[0018] Furthermore, a large number of documents have been located, such as EP0586805, which refer to treatment systems using wetlands, and which in some cases may be confused with the present invention since in these, plants are also often used in combination with biological treatment.However, the following differences are clearly established: The plants are aquatic or from waterlogged areas, macrophytes, which play a fundamental role in the performance of the treatment system, unlike in the present invention, where their role is that of agricultural, sporting or recreational enhancement, making it impossible to establish the typical plants of the environments mentioned in these wetlands; The biological treatment is fundamentally anoxic or aerobic only in the surface areas and in those in contact with the roots of the aquatic plants; And these systems are not designed for or allow the irrigation of crops with either wastewater or brackish water. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

[0019] The invention takes as its antecedent the problems generated in certain areas where there are no quality water resources and there is availability of brackish water and untreated wastewater.

[0020] The best known alternative for wastewater is its treatment and regeneration by the government, followed by its reuse by irrigators. However, this option depends entirely on the government's financial resources and initiative, as it is focused on solving an urban sanitation problem and does not usually consider the water needs of local irrigators. For brackish water, the best current alternative is desalination, although this also presents a significant problem, related to the economic cost and the management of the brine produced during these processes.

[0021] Currently, agriculture and golf courses in developing regions still use this type of contaminated water when no other alternative exists. To do so, irrigators often store it beforehand with higher-quality water and use the same pumps, pipes, filters, valves, and application systems as if it were normal water. However, this results in problems such as unpleasant odors, blockages, precipitation, low crop yields, and siltation. Addressing these issues involves a significant additional maintenance workload, as well as the legal uncertainty associated with using untreated wastewater and the resulting environmental damage.

[0022] What if the order of these actions could be changed, and the irrigators, with a new irrigation system, could solve their lack of water availability and, at the same time, fix the municipality's environmental problem?

[0023] Regarding brackish water, solutions that are not based on desalination systems also rely on mixing it with higher quality water to obtain irrigation water that is below the tolerance level of the crops planted, although in this case the consequences for the environment are more harmful and long-lasting because they increase the salinity of groundwater and endanger the overall survival of crops in the area.

[0024] What if, instead of trying to reduce the salinity of the water or increase the salt tolerance of plants, a similar effect could be achieved, also by irrigators, by simply modifying the irrigation system and the water uptake by the plants?

[0025] The answer to these two questions frames the present invention, which, in addition to providing a new system and philosophy for water treatment, can eradicate the inappropriate use of these waters and provide irrigators with a new symbiotic system that allows them to use, with guaranteed health and eliminating all associated problems, the only waters available to them, which, a priori, would be unacceptable for irrigation. EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION:

[0026] The symbiotic utilization system allows the direct use of wastewater as well as natural brackish water or water from the first stages of desalination plants, creating cultivation areas completely isolated from the land.

[0027] This device, when used with wastewater, preferably includes: Special pre-conditioning; The construction of a cultivated area, in one or more serial phases, with subsurface application, a highly permeable growing substrate, complete drainage, natural oxygenation, and recycling of the applied water, which prevents losses due to evaporation and allows the absorption and neutralization of the water's pollutant load, favoring nutrient uptake by plants in an environment where they also experience increased tolerance to pollution and salts; An optional waste area, where the solids and fats collected in the conditioning facilities are transformed into a fertilizing compost that will be reused by the same irrigators to improve their crops; and the use of the remaining wastewater for irrigating other areas, once it has been repeatedly recirculated and improved by this new system.

[0028] When the present invention is used for irrigation with brackish water, the system does not necessarily require conditioning, composting, or the use of surplus water.

[0029] The conditioning system preferably consists of a mixed physical and microbiological process, based on a degreaser, preferably a surface-mounted one, which discharges directly onto a screen. The water then flows to a homogenizing tank, where a pump continuously recirculates the water to a primary biological reactor equipped with plastic material and designed for high recharge rates. Conditioning concludes with the arrival of the excess water from the homogenizer to a settling tank, which in turn discharges into a surge tank. From there, the water is pumped to the cultivation area. This irrigation water conditioning method is therefore completely different from that used in conventional sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, which rely on ring, mesh, or sand filters, none of which are recommended for this invention. This conditioning system would not be necessary for uncontaminated brackish water.

[0030] The primary biological reactor is specifically designed for this conditioning process and features the following innovative characteristics: It is a high-recharge-rate aerobic biological filter, of the Trickling Filter type, filled with plastic material. The reactor is housed in a surface tank equipped with air inlets consisting of open and slotted pipes that pass diametrically through the tank at different heights for the natural and continuous re-oxygenation of the filter bed. Water enters by pumping through nozzles that disperse the water across the entire surface, and exits through the base via a drain pipe. This reactor operates in total and continuous recirculation from the homogenization tank.

[0031] This symbiotic water management system, combining a trickling filter with agricultural, sports, or recreational green spaces, consists of three parts: A lower section for drainage and treatment, with complete recovery of the applied water. This section is formed by a bed, preferably of coarse gravel, although it can also be made with small gravel or even sand. It is delimited by a support wall, preferably made of concrete blocks, bricks, or similar materials, placed directly on the ground. Alternatively, it can be constructed using earthen slopes, with an average height of approximately 1 meter for wastewater and 50 cm for brackish water, and a soil slope of 3 to 5%. The total perimeter required is related to the irrigation flow rate, in meters. 3 / h. This basin is preferably waterproofed with geotextile and plastic sheeting or similar material, and is equipped with a bottom drainage system consisting of slotted pipes that connect to a main bottom collector, which in turn connects to a conduit that sends the water to a further settling tank. The upper part consists of a growing substrate, normally dry or only moistened by an alternative freshwater supply network, or by rainwater itself. This substrate is sand, with a low fines content, and very high porosity and permeability, which allows the free passage of atmospheric gases to the drainage zone (primarily O2 and CO2) and is isolated from the irrigation water, which cannot reach it even by capillary action.

[0032] This design takes into account that crops, in their early stages of development, are highly vulnerable to waterlogged soils. Therefore, the planting area is protected from direct contact with the soil, and only during the growth phase do the roots seek the upper part of the drainage zone where they can obtain the water they need under optimal conditions. In other words, the plant roots are forced to grow deep into the drainage zone to access wastewater and / or brackish water. Finally, and especially important for the proper functioning of the system, is the intermediate section, also called the interface, which houses the water application system. This prevents the migration of soil from the growing medium to the lower part, allows the roots to reach the gravel layer, and ensures proper water distribution without causing waterlogging.

[0033] As a whole, this cultivation area works as a free aquifer, of detrital nature (highly permeable gravels) where there is only an unsaturated zone, without a water table, and where rain falls continuously, at a depth of about 40 cm, and is collected at 1.40 m, where its impermeable layer is located, generating a permanent spring that infiltrates back, in the form of rain, into the same aquifer from which it comes.

[0034] The water application system is designed using perforated pipes, housed in drainage sleeves and provided with removable and registerable hooks by means of two continuous manholes, placed directly on the drainage area.

[0035] These are perforated PE pipes, 16 to 20 mm in diameter, although larger diameters can also be installed depending on the flow rate required for each pipe. The entire water application system is accessible via two continuous inspection chambers, placed directly over the drainage area. These chambers are preferably made of brick, concrete, or prefabricated materials, and are 40 cm wide, 40 cm high, and the full length of the cultivated area. They are equipped with covers.

[0036] In addition, an automatic cleaning system is included for the protection of pressure pipes and perforated pipes. This system uses controlled injections of small amounts of compressed air into the incoming water flow and consists of an air compressor with a programmable outlet solenoid valve, and pneumatic and hydraulic injectors and check valves. These injections of small amounts of air, at intervals (typically after every 8 to 10 hours of operation), prevent biofilm formation and potential blockages in pipes and orifices.

[0037] Another innovative feature of this system is that the irrigation water applied to the cultivation area is 100% recovered and recirculated in a continuous process (24 hours a day), resulting in a continuous improvement in the quality of the wastewater used and preventing salt precipitation. This is achieved through a simple distribution valve at the outlet of the cultivation area, which allows for adjusting and modifying the recirculation flow rates to the treatment system and the flow rates to the traditional irrigation system. Typically, the flow rate is set to 50% when new wastewater is incoming, and 100% at all other times.

[0038] The crops planted in this area will be on sand and although their roots will eventually capture, in the development and adult phase, the water and nutrients from the treatment and drainage area, they will also have an alternative application network of fresh water, by surface drippers and / or sprinklers, associated with treated and non-brackish water, which will be used only in the establishment phase, when the plants are small.

[0039] This cultivation area is even suitable for greenhouses and, in terms of the types of crops, it is especially well-suited as a seedbed and growing area for ornamental plants for later transplanting. It can also be used as a golf practice green or as turf for other sports such as tennis or soccer.

[0040] Regarding the system's suitability for horticultural crops, it has only been verified, to date, that the appearance and vigor of the plants and their fruit are optimal. No consumption tests have been conducted to verify their safety, but these will be carried out in the next pilot project, where tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and artichokes, among others, will be cultivated. Nevertheless, there are strong expectations that this system is fully suitable for horticultural cultivation due to the complete absence of contact between irrigation water and the plants; the plant roots must penetrate the drainage zone to absorb the necessary water and nutrients.

[0041] The waste area, although not completely necessary for the operation of the present system, is considered advisable because, in addition to generating a highly positive byproduct with the sludge for the fertilization of plants and the improvement of agricultural soils, it avoids the expense associated with the transfer of the solids and fats separated in the conditioning area and gives total autonomy, without dependencies, to the irrigation equipment.

[0042] The recommended technique for this phase, due to its simplicity and low construction, operation, and maintenance costs, is composting. This is carried out by excavating a pit in the ground, waterproofing it with geotextile and plastic sheeting, and installing a drainage well. The pit is filled with gravel, over which a layer of crushed stone, approximately 10 cm thick, is placed, followed by another 10 cm layer of sand. Liquid sludge is then introduced into the pit to be dried and mineralized, along with pruning waste from the associated agricultural operation. The drained water is recirculated by pumping to the conditioning area, and the resulting compost is spread across the fields.

[0043] It is sized with two or more composting beds, operating alternately, prepared to receive 0.5 per thousand of the annual volume of untreated wastewater that reaches the current system, in one-month batches. See the calculation performed for the preferred mode.

[0044] The system ends with the complementary use of the reclaimed water for the irrigation of other areas, which could be its greatest innovation, since it generates a flow of water, practically the same as the input of untreated wastewater, but with the appropriate quality to be used in other areas, once they have been repeatedly recirculated and improved by this new system.

[0045] In the case of the use of brackish water, the system would not include the reuse of the surplus water, as it remains brackish and its use in other cultivation areas through conventional irrigation systems is not viable.

[0046] The present invention is also adaptable to wastewater that already has primary or secondary treatment, establishing a price reduction based on the following adaptations:

[0047] The size of the conditioning system would be reduced, and it could even be limited to the buffer tank.

[0048] The size of the growing area would also be reduced, since instead of needing four phases in series, it could be done in just two, cutting its total size in half. Similarly, the size of the composting beds would decrease, potentially becoming unnecessary.

[0049] And all this without reducing either the treatment flow rate or the final quality of the water leaving the system for use in other areas.

[0050] The use of this system offers the following advantages:

[0051] It allows the transformation, by the irrigators themselves, of a waste product, currently unsuitable for irrigation, into a resource perfectly suited for their crops.

[0052] It prevents losses due to evaporation and allows the absorption and neutralization of the polluting load of the water and promotes the use of nutrients by plants, in an environment where they also see increased tolerance to salts and pollution calculated for conventional irrigations different from the present one.

[0053] It promotes environmental improvement in small population centers that have not yet benefited from urban wastewater treatment, as it would prevent the Administration from carrying it out and its corresponding cost.

[0054] It does not require the use of any additive or the use of any special apparatus or device since its design is based on equipment and installations of very low technical complexity and very high availability, which favors its easy reproduction, exploitation and maintenance by the irrigators for whom it is intended.

[0055] It is a system with very small space requirements and low energy consumption, close to 0.5 kW / m² 3 .

[0056] It greatly increases the official tolerance of planted crops (both in organic load, ammonium and dissolved salts) and avoids at all times the generation of the saline bulb characteristic of localized irrigation, which can cause so many problems to crops.

[0057] And, in the case of wastewater, it regenerates and allows the reuse of the same amount of water as it uses for irrigation, which means having an irrigation system, without water consumption, that also acts as a treatment plant. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

[0058] Figure 1 is a general scheme, according to the present invention, showing the 4 main components:

[0059] A. Conditioning zone for the reduction of solids and fats that these incorporate;

[0060] B. Cultivation zone, where plants are grown using treated wastewater;

[0061] C. Waste zone to valorize the organic remains generated for the fertilization of other conventional irrigation areas;

[0062] And D. Traditional irrigation, for the use of surplus water.

[0063] And the following elements:

[0064] 1. Urban sanitation; 2. Water intake; 3. Grease trap; 4. Screen; 5. Homogenizing tank; 6. Primary biological reactor; 7. Settling tank; 8. Surge tank; 9. Air compressor; 10. Pumping to cultivation area; 11. Cultivation area; 12. Outlet settling tank; 13. Outlet water tank; 14. Distribution chamber; 15. Recirculation; 16. Surplus water; 32. Composting bed; and 33. Drainage well.

[0065] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional diagram, according to the present invention, showing the main components of the cultivation area:

[0066] 12. Settling tank; 17. Support wall; 18. Waterproofing; 19. Bottom drain; 20. Wet gravel for drainage and water collection; 21. Dry gravel (interface); 22. Dry growing substrate (sand); 23. Earth slope; 24. Original ground level; and 25. Drip irrigation box.

[0067] Figure 3 describes the details of the water application system in the cultivation area through a complete cross-section showing the following components:

[0068] 17. Support wall; 18. Base waterproofing; 19. Bottom drainage; 20. Wet gravel (catch and drainage zone); 21. Dry gravel (interface); 22. Dry growing substrate (sand); 23. Earth slope; 25. Drip irrigation box; 26. Main discharge; 27. Discharge manifold; 28. Removable connection; 29. ​​Perforated pipe; 30. Casing; 31. Cultivation; 46. Freshwater supply network.

[0069] Figure 4 is a cross-section of the waste composting area, composed of:

[0070] 32. Waterproofing; 33. Drainage gravel; 34. Crushed stone; 35. Drainage pit; 36. Sand; 37. Mud; 38. Plant debris; and 39. Soil

[0071] Figure 5 shows a section and elevation of the biological reactor specially designed for the conditioning system, composed of:

[0072] 40. Surface tank; 41. Water inlet pipe; 42. Reactor inlet nozzle; 43. Slotted aeration pipe; 44. Outlet drain pipe; 45. Biological bed.

[0073] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:

[0074] This system, when used with wastewater, preferably includes: A special pre-conditioning (A), of a physical, chemical, and microbiological type; The construction of a specially designed cultivation area (B), in one or several serial phases, with underground application, a highly permeable cultivation substrate, total drainage, natural oxygenation, and recycling of the applied water, which prevents losses due to evaporation and allows the absorption and neutralization of the pollutant load of the water, favoring the use of nutrients by the plants, in an environment where they also experience increased tolerance to pollution and salts; A waste area (C) where the solids and fats collected in the conditioning facilities are transformed into a fertilizer compost that will be reused by the same irrigators to improve their crops;And the use of surplus wastewater (D) for the irrigation of other surfaces, once it has been repeatedly recirculated and improved by this new system.

[0075] And when the present invention is used for irrigation with brackish water, the system does not necessarily include conditioning (A), composting (C), or the use of surplus water (D).

[0076] The conditioning system (A) preferably consists of a mixed physical-chemical and microbiological process, based on a degreaser (3), preferably a surface-mounted one, which discharges directly onto a sieve (4). The water then flows to a homogenizing tank (5), where a pump continuously recirculates the water to a primary biological reactor (6). This reactor uses capillary technology and is equipped with plastic material and features high recharge rates. The conditioning process concludes with the arrival of the excess water from the homogenizer to a settling tank (7), which in turn discharges into a buffer tank (8). From there, the water is pumped to the cultivation area (11). This irrigation water conditioning method is therefore completely different from that used in conventional sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, which rely on ring, mesh, or sand filters, none of which are recommended for the present invention.In the case of uncontaminated brackish water, this conditioning system (A) would not be necessary.

[0077] The primary biological reactor (6) is specifically designed for the aforementioned conditioning process and features the following innovative characteristics: It is a high-recharge-rate aerobic biological filter, of the Tricklig Filter type, filled with plastic material. The reactor is housed in a surface tank (40), equipped with air inlets consisting of open and slotted aeration pipes (43) that pass diametrically through the surface tank (40) at different heights for the natural and continuous re-oxygenation of the biological bed (45). Water enters by pumping through water inlet pipes (41) and reactor inlet nozzles (42) that disperse the water across the entire surface, and exits through the base via an outlet drain pipe (44). This reactor operates in total and continuous recirculation from the homogenization tank.

[0078] The cultivation area (11) is designed in three distinct parts: A lower, drainage area for the complete recovery of applied water, consisting of a gravel bed (20), preferably delimited by a support wall (17) made of concrete blocks, bricks, or similar materials, placed directly on the ground, with an average height of approximately 1 meter for wastewater and 50 cm for brackish water, and a slope of 3 to 5%. The total perimeter required is related to the irrigation flow rate, in m³ / h. This wall is preferably waterproofed with geotextile and plastic sheeting (18), or similar material, and is equipped with a bottom drain (19) consisting of slotted pipes that connect to a main bottom collector, which in turn connects to a conduit that sends the water to a new settling tank (12).The upper part consists of a growing substrate (22), normally dry or only moistened by other types of uncharged water, such as a freshwater supply network (46) or rainwater. This substrate is sand with a low fines content and very high porosity and permeability, allowing the free passage of atmospheric gases (primarily O2 and CO2) to the drainage zone. It is isolated from irrigation water, which cannot reach it even by capillary action. This design takes into account that crops, in their early stages of development, are very vulnerable to saturated water. Therefore, the planting area is protected from direct contact with it, and only during the growth phase do the roots reach the upper part of the drainage zone where they obtain the water they need under optimal conditions.Finally, and especially important for the proper functioning of the system, there is the intermediate part (21), also called the interface, which houses the water application system, prevents the migration of the cultivation sands to the lower part, allows the roots to pass to the gravel layer and achieves a correct distribution of the waters without generating puddles.

[0079] As a whole, this cultivation area (11) works as a free aquifer, of detrital nature (highly permeable gravels) where there is only an unsaturated zone, without a water table, and where rain falls continuously, at a depth of about 40 cm, and is collected at 1.40 m, where its impermeable layer is located, generating a permanent spring that infiltrates back, in the form of rain, into the same aquifer from which it comes.

[0080] The water application system is designed using perforated pipes (29) housed in slotted sleeves (30), which are connected, via detachable fittings (28), to two manifolds (27), one inlet and one outlet, for distributing saline or contaminated water at low pressure. Two features that demonstrate the system's robustness and which, for its protection, include the installation of an automatic cleaning system. This system injects small amounts of compressed air into the water flow at set intervals (typically after every 8 to 10 hours of operation), preventing biofilm formation and potential blockage of the perforated pipes and lines. The pipes are made of PE and range from 16 to 20 mm in diameter, although larger diameters can also be installed depending on the required flow rate.And this entire water application system can be registered by means of two continuous manholes (25), placed directly on the drainage area, made of brick, 40 cm wide, 40 cm high and the total length of the cultivation surface, and equipped with lids.

[0081] Another innovative feature of this system is that the irrigation water applied to the cultivation area is 100% recovered and recirculated in a continuous process (24 hours a day), resulting in a continuous improvement in the quality of the wastewater used and preventing salt precipitation. This is achieved through a distribution valve at the outlet of the cultivation area, which allows for adjusting and modifying the recirculation flow rates to the treatment system and the flow rates to the traditional irrigation system. Typically, the recirculation rate is set at 50% when new wastewater is incoming, and at 100% the rest of the time.

[0082] The crops (31) that are planted in this area will be on sand or similar, and although their roots will eventually, in the development and adult phase, capture water and nutrients from the lower area, they will also have a network of surface drippers or sprinklers, associated with treated and non-brackish water, which will be used only in the planting phase, when the plants are small.

[0083] This area (11) is even suitable for greenhouses and, in terms of the type of crops, is especially recommended as a seedbed and growing area for ornamental plants for later transplanting. It can also be used as a golf course practice green or as a grass surface for other sports such as tennis or soccer.

[0084] Regarding the system's suitability for horticultural crops, it has only been verified, to date, that the appearance and vigor of the plants and their fruit are optimal. No consumption tests have been conducted to verify their safety, but these will be carried out in the next pilot project, where tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and artichokes, among others, will be cultivated. Nevertheless, there are strong expectations that this system is fully suitable for horticultural cultivation due to the complete absence of contact between irrigation water and the plants; the plant roots must penetrate the drainage zone to absorb the necessary water and nutrients.

[0085] The waste zone (C), although not completely necessary for the operation of the present system, is considered advisable because, in addition to generating a highly positive byproduct with the sludge for the fertilization of plants and the improvement of agricultural soils, it avoids the expense associated with the transfer of the solids and fats separated in the conditioning zone and gives total autonomy, without dependencies, to the irrigation equipment.

[0086] The recommended technique for this phase, due to its simplicity and low construction, operation, and maintenance costs, is composting carried out by excavating a pit in the ground, waterproofing it with geotextile and plastic sheeting, and providing it with a drainage well (33). The pit is filled with gravel, upon which a layer of crushed stone, approximately 10 cm thick, is placed, followed by another 10 cm layer of sand. Two or more drying beds (32) are then constructed on top of these, receiving liquid sludge alternately for drying and mineralization, along with pruning waste from the associated agricultural operation. The drained water is recirculated by pumping to the conditioning area (A), and the resulting compost is spread across the cultivated fields.

[0087] It is sized with two or more composting beds (32), operating alternately, prepared to receive 0.5 per thousand of the annual volume of untreated wastewater that reaches the current system, in one-month batches. See the calculation performed for the preferred mode. This area will not be necessary if the irrigation system is exclusively for brackish water.

[0088] In summary, the waste zone (C) is an impermeable basin, filled with gravel, with an intermediate layer of gravel and a top layer of sand, and with a drainage well.

[0089] The system ends with the complementary use of the reclaimed water for the irrigation of other areas (D), which could be its greatest innovation, since it generates a flow of water, practically the same as the input of untreated wastewater, but with the appropriate quality to be used in other areas, once they have been repeatedly recirculated and improved by this new system.

[0090] In the case of brackish water, the system would not include the reuse of surplus water, as it remains brackish and its use in other cultivation areas through conventional irrigation systems is not viable.

[0091] A project like this would typically be commissioned by any irrigator, association, or user community with an untreated wastewater discharge point near their facilities, and with a need to expand or improve their current water supply. It would be particularly attractive in developing countries located in hot or arid regions, with tourism or agricultural activities. In addition to agricultural irrigators, this would also benefit those in the ornamental and gardening sector, as well as those involved in sports activities, especially golf, tennis, and soccer.

[0092] Next, a decision must be made as to whether to utilize all available wastewater flows (frequently associated with small population centers) or to allocate them exclusively to meet the specific irrigation demands established in each case. This latter approach would be associated with large populations and relatively small irrigation needs.

[0093] This preferred description outlines the characteristics of the conditioning, the cultivation area, the composting area, and the surplus water flow that can be used for other irrigations, starting from a maximum available flow of 200 m 3 / day of untreated wastewater (month of August) which would approximately coincide with that generated by a population of about 300 homes, with 3 inhabitants per home and a total of 900 inhabitants, with a seasonal distribution typical of a rural and tourist population.

[0094] The project will include the collection of wastewater from any of the existing infrastructure before its discharge. This will be achieved either by constructing a small pumping well, approximately 2 meters deep, or by utilizing an existing reservoir that allows for the installation of a pumping unit, typically consisting of submersible pumps and macerator pumps, which will facilitate the pumping and transport of the wastewater to the treatment area.

[0095] This area will include a surface degreaser that will discharge into a rotary sieve, or any other type, made of stainless steel and both designed for a flow of about 15 m3 / h, where periodically, the greases will be discharged, by gravity, to the composting area, and the solids collected by the sieve will be continuously collected in a container, with manual dumping to the same area.

[0096] The water from the screening process will flow by gravity to an underground homogenization tank with a capacity of approximately 35 m³, where a pump will be installed to pump it to a 15 m³ / h surface biological filter in continuous recirculation. This filter will remove unpleasant odors from the water and prepare it for flow through an underground settling tank. This settling tank will have a capacity of approximately 35 m³ and will connect the clarified water to a surge tank and the waste to the composting area.

[0097] The aforementioned buffer tank will be buried, with a total capacity of 70 m3, will also receive the recirculated water, and will house the pumping to the cultivation area (10 m3 / h) with the periodic injection of small amounts of compressed air.

[0098] The cultivation area will be carried out on the ground and will have an interior surface area of ​​approximately 220 m2, in 4 phases (55 m2 / phase), an average depth of 1 meter, with perforated pipes of 16 mm and a length of 6 m, with a 5% slope of the ground for drainage of the water towards another settling tank of approximately 10 m3, with water outlet towards a distribution box (50% to recirculation, 50% towards irrigation of other surfaces)

[0099] The crops to be planted in this area will be on sand, and although their roots will capture water and nutrients directly from the underlying gravel, they will also have a network of surface drippers, associated with the surplus water, which they will use only in the planting phase.

[0100] This area is suitable for greenhouses and, in terms of the type of crops, it is especially suitable as a seedbed and growth area for ornamental plants for later transplanting.

[0101] The waste area will be carried out using two composting beds, operating alternately, each of which will be sized to be able to receive a monthly volume of 17.3 m3.

[0102] Finally, this project will end with the delivery of a flow of about 34,626 m3 / year of water suitable for irrigation to other areas that could meet the demands of about 6.9 hectares of fruit trees, with an allocation of 5,000 m3 / ha / year.

Claims

[Corrected according to Rule 26, 09.10.2025] Symbiotic utilization system, characterized in that it is formed in three parts: A lower part (20), for drainage and treatment, formed by an impermeable basin and preferably filled with coarse gravel, with lower drainage (19), for the exit of the waters and their subsequent sending to recirculation; An intermediate part (21), composed of gravel, of smaller granulometry than those of the lower zone, which houses an underground system for the application of the waters, with automatic cleaning; And an upper part (22) formed by a layer of porous and permeable sand, isolated capillarily from the applied waters, which has a fresh water supply network (46), and where the roots of the plants are forced to deepen to the drainage zone to obtain wastewater and / or brackish water. [Corrected according to Rule 26, 09.10.2025] Symbiotic utilization system, according to claim 1, characterized in that the water application system comprises perforated pipes (29), housed in drainage sleeves (30) and provided with removable and registerable hooks by means of two continuous manholes, placed directly on the drainage – treatment zone (20). [Corrected according to Rule 26, 09.10.2025] Symbiotic utilization system, according to claim 1, characterized in that the automatic cleaning system of pumping pipes (26) and perforated pipes (29) is carried out by the controlled injection of small amounts of compressed air into the inlet water flow, composed of an air compressor, with programmable outlet solenoid valve, and pneumatic and hydraulic injector and check valves. [Corrected according to Rule 26, 09.10.2025] Symbiotic utilization system, according to claim 1, characterized in that, when used with wastewater, it includes a conditioning system (A) that preferably operates through a mixed physical and microbiological process, based on screening (4), a grease trap (3) with discharge to a homogenizing tank (5), in which a pump is installed that propels the water, in continuous recirculation, to a primary biological reactor (6). It also includes a settling tank (7) that discharges into a buffer tank (8) from which the water is then pumped to the cultivation area (B). Finally, this system also includes the complementary utilization of the reclaimed wastewater for reuse in other conventional cultivation areas. [Corrected according to Rule 26, 09.10.2025] Symbiotic utilization system, according to claim 4, characterized in that the primary biological reactor of the conditioning zone is an aerobic biological filter, with a high recharge rate, of the Trickling Filter type, filled with plastic material (45), housed in a surface tank (40), provided with air inlets (41) based on open and slotted pipes that cross the tank diametrically at different heights for the natural and permanent re-oxygenation of the bed, where the water inlet is by pumping, through nozzles (42) that disperse the water over the entire surface, and the outlet is through the base, by means of a drainage pipe. [Corrected according to Rule 26, 09.10.2025] Symbiotic utilization system, according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a waste zone made by means of drying beds, in an excavation in the ground, waterproofed, equipped with drains, drainage well and filled with gravel, on which an upper interface is placed to receive the sludge, whose drained waters are recirculated, by pumping, to the conditioning zone (A), and the compost generated is dispersed over the cultivation fields.

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