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BOOK REVIEW (ABSTRACT FORMAT) "WATER FOR URBAN AREAS: CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES"
Citation:
O'Connor*, T P. BOOK REVIEW (ABSTRACT FORMAT) "WATER FOR URBAN AREAS: CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES". WATER ENVIRONMENT AND TECHNOLOGY. WEF, Alexandria, VA, 17(11):77, (2005).
Impact/Purpose:
book review
Description:
This book is a compilation of papers from the Sixth Global Environmental Forum, convened by the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan in June 1997 on "Water for Urban Areas in the 21st Century." This book has a broad perspective of urban water including drinking, wastewater and reuse and other issues such as unusable groundwater (e.g., due to subsidence problems or natural/polluted supplies). The general audience appears to be managers, policy makers, urban and water resource planners, politicians, global business providers and students. While there are many common, naturally occurring impediments to water supply worldwide, the book may have limited, if any, application to American water treatment plant and wastewater treatment plant operators. Leak prevention and reduction in water distribution system is lagging in developing mega-cities. Reducing leaks before funding of additional distribution systems is a priority. However, in the chapter about India, which has high leak rates, the author puts forward:
"evaporation control by spreading chemicals on the lakes has been tried and a saving of 25% was observed. This measure could be adopted in the future when needed."
That such short term solutions are deemed necessary when long term effects of chemicals exposure are unknown shows the lengths to which planners are willing to go to deliver already stressed water supplies
