What should not be done with treated water that has been exposed to triclopyr?

When considering water treated with triclopyr, it is important to follow established safety guidelines regarding its use. Triclopyr is a systemic herbicide often used for controlling unwanted vegetation, including aquatic plants. After treatment, certain precautions must be taken to prevent potential harm to plants, animals, and human health.

Using water that has been treated with triclopyr for irrigation within a specified time frame—such as 120 days—poses significant risks. This is due to the persistence of the chemical in the environment and its potential uptake by non-target plants, which can lead to undesirable effects and can contaminate the soil and surrounding ecosystems. As a result, it's critical to adhere to a waiting period before using such water for irrigation purposes to ensure that triclopyr has degraded sufficiently and poses no further risk.

In contrast, applying treated water to potable sources should be avoided as it poses a direct risk of contaminating drinking water supplies. Releasing treated water back into water bodies can also disrupt aquatic ecosystems, and allowing treated water to evaporate may not eliminate the chemical residues that could be harmful.

Thus, the concern with using treated water for irrigation reflects a need for careful management of herbicide-treated water to safeguard environmental and human health