ABSTRACT
Few problems in water management are entirely new and those facing Scottish water managers are no exception. Indeed, the key issues with respect to water supply, sewerage, treatment of sewage and control of pollution were apparent well before the Second World War. Serious problems had arisen because of an inappropriate institutional structure, which had grown up piecemeal, largely in response to rapid and highly-localised urbanisation and industrialisation before the First World War. In the interwar period, problems became increasingly acute and pressures on water supply and on waste disposal services were particularly evident on the urban fringe. Moreover, the context of water management was changing as an emphasis on public health gave way to specific policies with respect to housing and planning.
