ENV DES 4C Chapter article: Sustainable urban water systems in rich and poor cities (1)

• School: Berkeley
• Department: Environmental Design
• Course: ENV DES 4C
• Professor: Kristina Hill

Document Summary

Sustainable urban water systems in rich and poor cities-steps towards a new approach. Pre-19th century city: walking-based, localized water supply and treatment. Industrial revolution these methods could not longer support growing cities. A: linear urban form, large scale water supply system, few large water sources, long pipes, collect then discharge through large pipes. Auto city: capacity issues w/ big pipes approach, no new ecological awareness of value of natural water, water bodies that receive city discharge are being overloaded, dams and aquifers are economically & environmentally questionable. A: localized solutions to environmental tech, low-flow toilets, electronic control of irrigation, very sensitive to water demand, water recycling. High tech solutions: filtration developed from dialysis in kidneys, biogas tech, uv disinfection. Low tech solution: wetland systems, solar aquatic systems. Conclusions: multi-centered cities are part of new economy, must decentralized water management, tech exists but can decentralization be achieved, challenges are same in rich and poor countries.