Chapter 1 - Cities’ water pollution—Challenges and controls

Abstract

Water pollution is one of the challenges for society, especially for industries working in the water sector. With rapid urbanization, population, and industrial growth, there is a serious threat to water management. New chemicals are released every day, and they are making their way into the water, putting more challenges on water-reuse technologies. Cities occupy less than 3% of the Earth's surface, but there is a significant population density (more than 50% of the global population), industries, and energy use, which results in environmental pollution and degradation. The ecological footprint of cities does not restrict to their boundaries, and the impact is felt from forests, agriculture, water, and other surfaces, which supply resources to their residents. Therefore, cities have an enormous bearing on the surrounding ecosystem, making them centers for water and other environmental pollution. Even though water, sanitation, and access rates are generally higher in urban areas compared to the rural counterparts, it's hard to match this pace with planning and infrastructure in many regions globally. Today, almost 700 million urban people live without proper sanitation, contributing to poor health conditions. The ever-increasing global population, lack of adequate clean water at a global scale, the high-energy demand, the intricate interplay between water and energy, and the environmental impact of contaminated water supplies globally all point toward the challenges that need to be addressed. This chapter will discuss some of the aspects of water pollution, categories of water pollution, impacts of water pollution, socio-economic and environmental challenges, water quality and sustainability goals, and water laws and policies.