In countries like Saudi Arabia water is a scarce commodity as rain fall is minimal. Water used for agriculture is usually extracted from deep water resources.
This resource is depleted by the extensive use and the quality of the water decreases during this process. Several growers stopped production due to poor water quality.
Alternatively, sea water can be used by applying reverse osmosis. This method to produce fresh water is used more extensively specially for domestic use.
A cubic meter of water can be produced at a cost of around 1.75 dollar with %70 of the costs resulting from energy consumption.
Using treated wastewater for food production is not considered as an option in this region. This water is mainly used for irrigation of parks and forests.