Urban and agricultural competition for water,and water reuse

Competition for water can be resolved by construction of more facilities for storing water in wet years for use in dry years, by weather modification, watershed management, urban and agricultural water conservation, reuse of sewage effluent and other wastewater, desalination of saline water, water banking and transfer of water rights or other changes in water use. Reuse of wastewater requires treatment so that the water meets the quality requirements for the intended reuse. Groundwater recharge and recovery can play an important role in the treatment and storage of wastewater for reuse—agricultural, urban, and industrial, as well as potable. Often, water shortages are only shortages of cheap and abundant water, and competition problems can be resolved by good planning and management if the public is willing to pay the price and to accept changes in water use.