ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the potential health effects and impacts on drinking water caused by the disposal of treated and untreated urban wastewater. It presents an analysis of how the misconception of disposal has led society to forget that in fact we are widely recycling water. The book provides a description of the main sources responsible for the increased levels of inorganic and organic compounds in water resources and drinking water. It also describes how the balance between availability and demand needs to be maintained by the urban water service. The book discusses the importance of industrial pretreatment requirements and monitoring programmes to avoid chemical catastrophes in sewers. It shows how stochastic analysis of system scenarios can help identify drought and climate change risks, and the economic benefits of water conservation and water reuse.
