Pilot project on the use of rainwater in the horticultural industry

Description

This project aims to collect data to guide rainwater capture and recovery for use on farms to. The uses selected for study are:

1) Washing agricultural products;
2) Providing a water supply for workers staying on the farm (except for drinking water);
3) Irrigation;
4) Crop protection.

An initial group of “fixed” catchment structures will be deployed around existing structures such as large tunnels and building roofs .

A second group of “mobile” structures will be deployed to collect water in crops under plasticulture (on a slope) or in certain cases in a field or area near a pond. Transport, storage and water treatment solutions will be adapted to the different conditions encountered.

The project will last three years and will be carried out mainly on farms on Île d'Orléans.

Objective(s)

• Install fixed and mobile structures to collect, transport, store, and treat rainwater such that it is suitable for four agricultural water uses.
• Describe the physico-chemical and microbiological quality of the water for each water collection, transportation and storage method.
• Identify and detail the financial, agronomic and environmental risks associated with the adoption of these practices for each of the uses under study.
• Evaluate water treatment processes according to water quality and target uses.
• Determine the costs of adopting the practice and its effectiveness, depending on the uses and structures involved.
• Quantify the impact of this practice on the reduction of the risk of water deficit for the participating businesses and on Île d'Orléans as a whole.