Urban Water Resources Issues in the 21st Century

The Urban Water Resources Research Council identifies four critical engineering issues that must be addressed in the 21st century: water supply, storm water management, combined sewer systems, and engineering education. Water supply planning must become part of an integrated water resources‐planning process that considers all sources and beneficial uses in allocating a fixed supply to an increasing demand. The interrelationship of groundwater and surface water must be recognized, with programs to replenish these resources being considered in conjunction with water supply. Storm water management must consider the quantity and quality of urban runoff. Storm water systems must be designed so that post‐development runoff approximates pre‐development runoff, and economical treatment techniques must be invented to retrofit existing drainage systems. Either we must develop cost‐effective processes to handle the widely varying ranges of flow and pollutant concentrations from combined sewer systems, or we must create separate systems as we restore infrastructure in the older cities relying on combined sewer systems. In addition to a solid engineering foundation, engineering education must provide training in communication, leadership, people management, and creativity.