Changes

Water reuse is a well-known concept and part of the [[3R (water) – Recharge, Retention and Reuse|3R process (recharge, retention, reuse)]]. In this way, managing water well is thought of as a "buffer" to insure consistent supplies - A buffer between the user and the bad effects of drought or an unreliable water resource.

Three processes are important in managing reuse. '''The first is management of (non-beneficial) evaporation.''' Water that evaporates ‘leaves’ the system and can no longer circulate within it. This is an important concept. In some areas, for instance, ‘efficient’ irrigation reduces reusable recharge and results in the evaporation of a higher percentage of the water. This makes less water available for reuse and may jeopardize the water balance. One source of evaporation is from the soil – particularly from depressions and moist stretches. There is a fine balance between keeping good soil moisture (which is also achieved by agronomic practices, shade trees and the like) and avoiding evaporation losses from the soil. In fact, in some areas a reduction in groundwater table (from very high to moderate) reduces such non-beneficial evaporation.