Abel Wolman's "The Metabolism of Cities" revisited: A case for water recycling and reuse

Factors affecting the feasibility of water reclamation and reuse in an urba n environment are discussed with special focus on reclaimed water quality a nd reuse applications.. Water supplied to a city undergoes only small chang es in quality and thus becomes a valuable resource ready for reuse and unde r local control. Successful development of water reuse must take into consi deration technical, financial and social aspects. The quality of the reclai med water must be matched to its intended use and alternative means of its distribution should be considered. Regional population growth patterns and their influence on economic feasibility of water reuse are examined. (C) 19 99 IAWQ Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.