Abstract |
The water surveillance network of supply and waste disposal systems of the New York Metropolitan Region was examined in detail. The structure, operation, data storage and exchange were found to be inadequate for the integrated management of the region's water resources. The viability of the urban water regime is totally dependent on chlorination technology, but the monitoring system plays a negligible role. Recommendations were made for the improvement of the surveillance net. From the best data subsets, a pollution simulation model was developed and tested, using several parameters of urbanization as independent variables, population growth, percent impermeable surface, industrial waste coefficients. The results of the simulation of future behavior indicate that the policy of favoring large regional sewage plants is questionable and that there may be an ecologic ceiling to further development if water quality is to be maintained. (Author) |