Managing Municipal Water Supply and Use in Water-Starved Regions: Looking Ahead

Abstract

In this editorial, the author shares 30 years of experience with water management in a semiarid region (specifically California). The focus of this writing is on municipal water supply; that is, water supplied by public water systems that support residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental users in populated areas. The editorial examines ways to improve the reliability of municipal water supply in water-scarce, fast-growing regions such as southern California. The challenges and the possibilities that arise concerning municipal water supply in southern California are not unique. They are similar in many parts of the world, whether it is northern China, the Middle East, or other drought-stricken regions. The author argues for unconventional approaches to help meet municipal water use in drought-vulnerable regions. A greater reliance on sustainable water sources, local in origin, is envisioned to diminish the dependence on imports and on the vagaries of the climate. Specifically, this editorial makes the case for reliance on “toilet-to-tap” sewage recycling and seawater desalination, both of which are herein shown to be unconventional sources of municipal water in California at this time. These two sources of water have excellent potential for stabilizing municipal water supply in drought-vulnerable regions.