Alternative method for determination of hydraulic conductivity in soils with irrigated waste water

Abstract The determination of hydraulic conductivity by instant profile method provides conductivity values only for a high water contents range, between saturation and field capacity conditions, because the very slow process of water redistribution in lower water content usually can not be detected. In sodic soils, sodium can reduce infiltration and free percolation, and complicate the use of this field method. Experiments based on evaporation can be performed to obtain hydraulic conductivity values in lower water content, avoiding the problem of infiltration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Wind laboratory system for determination of hydraulic conductivity, in comparison with the field instant profile method, in soils irrigated by sodium-rich wastewater. The results show that the determination of K(() by Wind system based on evaporation was more consistent and more accurate, and more adapted for soils irrigated with sodic water than field method based on percolation.