Recycle pits

Recycle pits

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• Overview
• Key Considerations
• Planning and design
• Construction and operation
• Links and references

Other name/s

Recycle basin, tailwater storage pit

Description

A recycle pit is a structure designed to capture irrigation run-off (known as tailwater) for re-use in the production area. If designed, sited and operated correctly recycle pits can have significant water quantity and quality benefits by ensuring tailwater, and any associated sediments, nutrients and pesticides, are re-used on the farm and do not enter natural waterways and wetlands.

Unlike many other treatment systems used in agricultural production systems recycle pits do not treat the water. Rather they rely on the water being captured and re-used on the farm. They are also included as a farm best management practice.

Recycle pits are generally used in areas where surface furrow irrigation is used. This is primarily in irrigated sugarcane and broadacre crops, such as cotton[5][4].  Recycle pits are designed primarily to capture irrigation tailwater, but can also capture some stormwater run-off, particularly the first flush of stormwater run-off in irrigated cropping areas[3][1][2].

Services and benefits

• Irrigation tailwater collection and re-use
• Preventing irrigation tailwater leaving property (thereby reducing sediment, nutrient and pesticide loss)
• Deposition of coarse sediments

References

1. ^ Canegrowers (2013), Smartcane BMP Irrigation and Drainage Management. [online], Canegrowers. Available at: https://smartcane.com.au/user/modules.aspx?id=e8b26cf7-33ea-4165-ba89-cef1ba4842f0&p_id=c78d4360-1d20-442e-8922-3b3e838d843c [Accessed 1 December 2021].
2. ^ Cotton Australia (2021), Water management MyBMP.
3. ^ NQ Dry Tropics (2009), Recycle Pit Guidelines: for cane farmers in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region, NQ Dry Tropics, North Queensland.
4. ^ Rose, M, Crossan, A, Kennedy, I, Chapman, V & Spanswick, S (2006), Wetlands and water storages on cotton farms.
5. ^ Shannon, E & McShane, T (2013), Options for tailwater capture and reuse in the Barratta catchment: A scoping study, FarmAcist and BBIFMAC, Ayr.

Last updated: 10 June 2022