Have you ever noticed the water that runs down the driveway as you’re washing your car? Or the small stream of water that runs after watering the flowers in your backyard?
Whether it’s your potted plants on your back porch or a commercial greenhouse facility, water runoff naturally occurs everywhere. However, today’s climate crisis is proving that communities around the world are lacking these natural resources, such as water, and are faced with severely impactful environmental challenges as a result.
Luckily, there are plenty of solutions today that allow us to collect water runoff almost as easily as it is to create it. Innovative technology and environmental companies like Geomat are constantly working to provide solutions that help conserve these water resources.
Considering the amount of water used in large-scale commercial cannabis and agricultural facilities, the potential for water runoff and wastewater can be enough to raise concerns about the surrounding environment. How much of this agricultural water runoff is being used in your operation, and how much can be easily recycled and reused?
In this blog, we’re identifying the common causes of cannabis wastewater runoff, and the simple tricks and ways your agricultural facility can save every last drop!
The Inevitable Cause of Cannabis Wastewater
The cultivation of cannabis has been going on for centuries before it was even declared a Schedule 1 drug. Throughout ancient times, this plant was used historically, spiritually, and holistically for its various benefits and effects. Nonetheless, the art of cannabis cultivation has been mastered thoughtfully and thoroughly.
With such a long history and honor for cannabis, not every cannabis farmer may agree on the same process of cultivating, but one thing that is mutually agreed upon is the necessity of soil, light, and water.
Additionally, the illegal federal status of cannabis in the country has limited further data and analysis on the exact water usage of these plants and their impact on the industry.
The National Cannabis Industry Association’s report, “Environmental Sustainability in the Cannabis Industry,” further explains the scarcity of this information in the industry -
“For instance, even among outdoor cultivation types, the arrangement of plants and alternative harvesting strategies (i.e. using mixed-light operations) significantly alters the size of plants, and thus their water demand. Water use by plants grown indoors is expected to be even less due to the controlled nature of this cultivation environment. As a result, using a single plant-based estimate to represent the water demand of cannabis is simply not appropriate.”
Every grower will have their preferred method or the secret strategy behind cultivating the lushest and largest yield. As a result, the other elements of one’s growing facility can directly influence the plant’s essential needs, such as growth, rate of maturation or growth, and water.
No matter one’s process, whether it’s watering the plants or sanitizing facility equipment after a harvest, these actions commonly cause and lead to agricultural water runoff that can have looming effects on your surrounding environment.
The Toxic Impacts of Cannabis Wastewater Runoff
Especially for large commercial cannabis and agricultural producers, cannabis wastewater runoff can contain high concentrations of excess fertilizers that may include harmful chemicals or irritants to the ecosystem.
Water Runoff from Outdoor Cannabis Grows
Consider the amount of fertilization, nutrients, and chemical compounds typically used for successful cannabis yields. Not only do these factors affect water quality used in operations, but the cannabis wastewater and agricultural water runoff created can have harmful impacts on the environment.
For instance, phosphorus is an element typically used for strengthening and growing plants in their flowering stage. When the watering of these plants in the soil occurs, a decent amount of water runoff trickles down, off the soil, and spreads into the environment. Over time, phosphorus (or other elements in the soil) accumulate in bodies of water nearby your facility.
When these chemical elements pile up due to water runoff, it causes algae blooms - an increase of algae appearing on top of the water. These algae blooms can grow rapidly and are extreme in size. If not addressed in time, these blooms can even blackout the water and deprive aquatic plants and life of the nutrients and sunlight they need.
This cause of overgrown algae can also deplete the water’s oxygen levels, which can further decline the surrounding aquatic life and ecosystems.
Cannabis Wastewater from Indoor Facilities
Indoor cannabis and agricultural facilities have a more controlled environment and climate for their plants, where light, water, and other factors can be more disciplined and contained. However, these operations, just like outdoor grows, create the same wastewater and runoff issues.
Additionally, many of these top-producing cannabis states are operating indoor facilities due to climate or weather obstacles, or environmental regulatory structures put in place.
For instance, California and Colorado are two of the top states in the cannabis industry, notorious for their cultivation practices and quality flower. Colorado and California both host many indoor cannabis facilities due to these environmental regulations set.
The state of Colorado is supplied with municipal drinking water for irrigation, establishing concerns about properly managing this water usage and treatment. Recently, the state has been experiencing a record-breaking shortage of municipal water available.
Many news reports and state authorities have reported similar severe water usage warnings in California. Due to similar signs of drought and water scarcity also occurring here, this precious resource is becoming increasingly challenging and strict to obtain in this major state as well.
Maintaining Water Conservation: The Practice of Cannabis Water Recycling
As mentioned earlier, water use and demand in the cannabis industry are influenced by several factors. Yet, no matter the factors that pertain to your specific cannabis or agricultural facility, the outcome of cannabis wastewater and runoff is inevitable.
When determining how to optimize your water usage and resources for your harvest, be sure to consider whether your facility is based indoor or outdoor, and what other factors the location will include.
Luckily, many sustainable and innovative options can be effective solutions for cultivators to reduce their water usage and environmental impact. Whether you’re establishing a new facility or looking to increase sustainable efforts, here are some top tips for preventing (and saving) cannabis wastewater runoff.
Indoor cultivation operations can consider growing bases and mediums with a higher water retention rate and lower evaporation. (Hydroponics, coco noir, silt, etc.)
Develop a water management plan that can factor in local hydrology information. This includes awareness of the watersheds, rivers, and streams that are outsourced.
Establish adequate drainage on-site to avoid any unnecessary soil salinization or loss of soil nutrients from lack of drainage or overwatering.
Monitor and track all water use, in every cultivation operation - if you are sourcing your water from the state or municipal level, many regulations require monthly reports of water usage.
Establish a source of water containment or storage with the appropriate permits and approval from local, state, and federal agencies.
Geomat’s closed-loop water recovery system helps facilities capture and recycle this cannabis wastewater runoff, recycling and reusing every drop. Any cannabis water runoff collected on a Geomat unit is captured, filtered, recycled, and restored for reuse.
All Geomat systems are scalable to fit any size and work environment. OSHA and EPA approved, Geomat meets cannabis compliance and follows all water and environmental regulations at the state and federal levels.
Water runoff is an important component of the water cycle and a vital resource all living things share. As the cannabis industry continues to flourish and advance, both indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivators must attempt capturing and reusing all wastewater and water runoff.
Water is an important ingredient of the Earth, and it is time to help and give back to our planet!
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