The history behind our growing water crisis: “A gem . . . An erudite romp through two millennia of water and sanitation practice and technology.” —Nature Turn on the faucet, and water pours out. Pull out the drain plug, and the dirty water disappears. Most of us give little thought to the hidden systems that bring us water and take it away when we’re done with it. But these underappreciated marvels of engineering face an array of challenges that cannot be solved without a fundamental change to our relationship with water, David Sedlak explains in this enlightening book. To make informed decisions about the future, we need to understand the three revolutions in urban water systems that have occurred over the past 2,500 years, and the technologies that will remake the system. The author starts by describing Water 1.0, the early Roman aqueducts, fountains, and sewers that made dense urban living feasible. He then details the development of clean drinking water and sewage treatment systems—the second and third revolutions in urban water. He offers an insider’s look at current systems that rely on reservoirs, underground pipe networks, treatment plants, and storm sewers to provide water that is safe to drink, before addressing how these water systems will have to be reinvented. For everyone who cares about reliable, clean, abundant water, this book is essential reading.

This book analyses the sustainability of membrane operations applied on an industrial scale, as well as that of those under investigation on lab/pilot scales, covering also the preparation of both polymeric and inorganic membranes. It presents reverse osmosis in desalination, membrane bioreactors for municipal wastewater treatment and pressure-driven industrial wastewater treatment in agrofood and textile fields as examples of industrial membrane operations. Regarding the membrane processes still on a lab/pilot scale, the analysis includes membrane operations for the recovery of valuable products from wastewater streams, for the removal of toxic compounds from water/wastewater, and for zero liquid discharge approaches in desalination. The book offers a useful guide for scientists and engineers working in various fields, including membrane technology, separation, desalination, and wastewater treatment. Alberto Figoli and Alessandra Criscuoli are both Senior Researchers at the Institute on Membrane Technology (ITM-CNR), Italy.

Water is one of the main concerns of modern societies. Climate change will significantly complicate access to quality water for millions of people worldwide and the threat of contamination of aquatic resources by poor wastewater management is real and growing fast. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment methods. Although there are numerous water treatment methods, not all of them are equally sustainable, be it environmentally, economically or ethically. For this book, some of the latest advances in sustainable wastewater treatments were collected and 13 articles selected. The selected articles deal with aspects such as the removal of nanoparticles, the applicability of constructed wetlands, the recovery/removal of wastewater, the use of low-cost bio-sorbents, the optimization of activated sludge, the application of advanced oxidation technologies, and the modeling of reverse osmosis systems. This book will give the reader an idea of the latest trends in the sector of sustainable wastewater treatment.

Life Cycle Assessment of Wastewater Treatment addresses in detail the required in-depth life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment. This is to meet the special demands placed upon wastewater treatment processes, due to both the limited quantity and often low quality of water supplies. Wastewater management clearly plays a central role in achieving future water security in a world where water stress is expected to increase. Life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used as a tool to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with wastewater treatment and potential improvement options. This unique volume will focus on the analysis of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. Key Features: Focuses on the analysis of wastewater treatment plants using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach Discusses unconventional water sources such as recycled wastewater, brackish groundwater and desalinated seawater Explains life cycle assessment in detail, which has become one of the reference methods used to assess the environmental performance of processes over their complete life cycle, from raw material extraction, infrastructure construction and operation to final dismantling Explores a technique (LCA) that is becoming increasingly popular amongst researchers in the water treatment field nowadays because of its holistic approach Based on the real life experiences, the subject of wastewater is presented in simple terms and made accessible to anyone willing to learn and experiment

While most books examine only the classical aspects of hydrology, this three-volume set covers multiple aspects of hydrology, and includes contributions from experts from more than 30 countries. It examines new approaches, addresses growing concerns about hydrological and ecological connectivity, and considers the worldwide impact of climate change

Water is essential to our planet's life, and protecting our water resources is a prerequisite for building a sustainable future. Since water use is inextricably linked to energy use, however, we face significant challenges. Water plays an essential role in many, if not most, manufacturing facilities. In a world facing a water-scarcity crisis, much

This fourth edition of Organic Waste Recycling is fully updated with new material to create a comprehensive and accessible textbook: - New chapter on constructed wetlands for wastewater and faecal sludge stabilization. - New sections on: waste recycling vs. climate change and water; faecal sludge and its characteristics; hydrothermal carbonization technology; up-to-date environmental criteria and legislation and environmental risk assessment. - New case studies with emphasis on practices in both developed and developing countries have been included, along with more exercises at the end of chapters to help the readers understand the technical principles and their application. - Novel concepts and strategies of waste management are presented. - Up-to-date research findings and innovative technologies of waste recycling program are provided. This textbook is intended for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in environmental sciences and engineering as well as researchers, professionals and policy makers who conduct research and practices in the related fields. It is essential reading for experts in environmental science and engineering and sustainable waste reuse and recycling in both developed and developing countries.