Scores of cities using untreated wastewater

Cities in developing countries around the world are using untreated or partially treated wastewater for agriculture, posing serious health risks to urban consumers, a study said.

"Irrigating with wastewater isn't a rare practice limited to a few of the poorest countries," said researcher Liqa Raschid-Sally, a researcher for the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

"It's a widespread phenomenon, occurring on 20 million hectares across the developing world, especially in Asian countries, like India and Vietnam, but also around nearly every city of sub-Saharan Africa and in many Latin American cities as well."