Impact of Using Borehole Water and Treated Wastewater for Irrigation on Some Sandy Soil Characteristics in Saharan Dry Regions

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to assess the impact of treated wastewater (TWW) and borehole water (BW) on certain properties of sandy soil during irrigation periods of 7, 45 and 100 days. Twenty‐four soil monoliths were placed at the experimental palm grove of the University of Ouargla Algeria and irrigated with TWW or BW, with average electrical conductivity (EC) values of 5.82 dS/m and 2.57 dS/m, respectively. The soil pH, EC and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) were determined before and after irrigation. The pH of the soil watered with TWW was significantly greater than that of the one irrigated with BW. Moreover, the type of water used as well as the irrigation period length significantly impacted the soil EC and SAR, which decreased drastically after 100 days of irrigation. Our findings provide relevant information on irrigation in arid and semi‐arid regions, suggesting that TWW can be used as an alternative to BW to irrigate sandy soils.