Wastewater Management in the 21st Century

A dialogue concerning potential future directions for the wastewater profession is initiated by identifying four principal challenges. The first is the perception by many (at least in the United States) that water pollution and water quality problems have largely been solved. Dramatic improvements during the 20th century (by the founders of our profession, not by us!) have eliminated many of the obvious public health and environmental issues associated with wastewater management. The second is population growth and the associated added stress on water resources. The third is the potential (at least perceived) conflict between providing improved water and wastewater service to the poor (especially in developing countries) and reducing the environmental impacts of our systems. The fourth is to determine whether we are wastewater managers, or more broadly water managers. These challenges can be addressed by adopting a broader, more holistic view of urban water management incorporating water supply, wastewater management, and storm water. A toolkit of existing and evolving technologies could be assembled and grouped into example systems. Improved methods for evaluating alternate urban water management systems based on sustainable development principles need to be developed. Achieving the vision of more sustainable urban water management systems requires that our professional organizations speak with one voice. Our profession must also reach out and engage a wide range of interests in defining and implementing dramatically improved solutions.