AbstractBACKGROUNDAlthough reclaimed wastewater drip irrigation (RWDI) is an effective technology for alleviating agricultural crop water stress and protecting the environment, the reclaimed wastewater (RW) may cause emitter clogging. Discharge ratio variation (Dra) and coefficient of uniformity (CU) play a key role in exploring the clogging degree of the emitter. Therefore, a meta‐analysis was conducted to identify optimal management methods with an acceptable Dra and CU under RWDI.RESULTSThe results indicate that the higher the concentration of various substances in RW, the higher is the risk of the emitter clogging. Suitable concentrations of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), water hardness and calcium ions (Ca2+) in RW were determined to be 0–0.2, 0–0.02, 0–50, 20–30, 200–250 and 0–40 mg L−1, respectively. Pressure‐compensating emitters with relatively high discharge (>2 L h−1) could prevent clogging in RWDI systems.CONCLUSIONBased on the data analysis, a cumulative RWDI operation time of 375 h was determined as the most suitable time for lateral flushing to prevent clogging. This study identifies the conditions under which an increase in the service life of RWDI systems can be achieved. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.