NATURAL AND ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS FOR DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES (PB 2013) Paperback

"Natural and Engineered Solutions for Drinking Water Supplies: Lessons from the Northeastern United States and Directions for Global Watershed Management advocates for a more integrated approach to designing municipal water systems. The book explores key factors that influence decision-making in managing drinking water supplies, offering valuable insights for global water resource strategies in the face of rising energy and environmental challenges. The study focuses on six cities in the northeastern U.S.—New York, NY: Boston and Worcester, MA: New Haven and Bridgeport, CT: and Portland, ME—examining how each has historically addressed environmental, economic, and social factors to protect upland forests as sources of clean drinking water. Each city operates under distinct regulations, planning policies, geographic conditions, and ownership models, providing a variety of case studies. A key theme of the book is optimizing municipal investments in water infrastructure. It explores the balance between traditional water treatment facilities (gray infrastructure) and natural filtration systems, such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands (green infrastructure), to maintain water quality. By comparing these approaches, the book assesses their effectiveness in ensuring sustainable water management. The findings show that preserving and managing upland forests as natural filtration systems is not only environmentally beneficial but also economically and socially advantageous. This approach proves to be a more sustainable option than relying solely on artificial filtration and engineering solutions. Drawing from these case studies, the book provides practical recommendations for policymakers and water resource managers, stressing the need to integrate both natural and engineered solutions for effective watershed management."