Water as a transport medium for waste out of towns

The historical background for centralised water management in the cities of the developed world is outlined in order to give the rationale for the tec hnical solutions we have inherited from the last century. The key element i s maintaining the hygienic conditions in the cities. The success is illustr ated by the absence of water-borne diseases in the modem developed city. A new paradigm is introduced based on added concern for the use of resources, pollution of the environment and the concern for the welfare of the coming generations. The water resource is not the unsustainable aspect of urban w ater use, because water is not lost, but polluted, which can be abated. Wat er can be re-routed and recycled. There are many attractive local solutions for better handling of urban water. (C) 1999 IAWQ Published by Elsevier Sc ience Ltd.-All rights reserved.