With communities around the world facing a depletion of their water sources, it is being realised that using water just once is not merely a luxury but a design flaw. Water reuse could help to: 1) substitute reclaimed water for applications that do not require potable-quality water; 2) augment water sources and provide an alternative source of supply; 3) protect aquatic ecosystems by reducing the diversion of freshwater; 4) reduce the contaminants and nutrients entering waterways; 5) reduce the need to build dams and reservoirs and 6) comply with environmental regulations. In other words, water reuse could form the most important component of sustainable development.

Water Reuse ?Issues, Technologies and Applications published by McGraw Hill brings a wealth of knowledge to readers on a subject which is occupying the attention of planners from California to Queensland. Authored by some of the wellacclaimed experts in the field of water reuse such as Takashi Asano, Franklin Burton, Harold Leverenz, Ryujiro Tsuchihashi and George Tchobanoglous, the textbook runs into more than 1,500 pages.

Backed by well-known environmental engineering firm Metcalf & Eddy, which has developed many textbooks in the past, this is the first textbook to comprehensively discuss issues related to water reuse, policy, latest treatment technologies and real-life examples of water reuse applications. Dr Takashi Asano, the lead author is Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of California at Davis. He was a recipient of Stockholm Water Prize in 2001 for his outstanding work in water reuse.

Water Reuse ?Issues, Technologies and Applications has been organised into five parts. The first part gives an introduction to water reuse which can be easily comprehended even by laypersons. Past and current practices are discussed along with a discussion of milestone water reuse projects in California and Florida. The second part of the book looks at health and environmental concerns in water reuse. The characteristics of municipal wastewater have been examined as also water reuse regulations and guidelines. Since the health risks of water reuse are significant, a chapter has been devoted to risk analysis, which includes chemical risk and microbial risk assessment.

The third part of the textbook is devoted to the technologies and systems used for water reclamation and reuse. Detailed design has not been focussed upon although the performance of the technologies has been discussed extensively and the concerns related to dissolved contaminants and pathogenic microorganisms have been highlighted. Even satellite treatment systems, onsite and decentralised systems and dual plumbing systems have been explored in various chapters. It has been suggested that for learning more about detailed designs of the processes, the companion textbook Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse by Tchobanoglous, Burton and Stensel could be used.

Various water reuse applications such as agricultural irrigation, industrial uses, indirect and direct potable reuse have been taken up in Part Four along with several notable projects. Among the important case studies taken up are: San Diego Water Repurification Project, Singapore’s NEWater project, Windhoek project in Namibia and the demonstration project in Denver, Colorado.

Before every chapter, the working terminology has been explained which makes it simpler to use the book (as compared to a glossary of terms inserted inconveniently at the back). A large number of data and information tables are dispersed throughout the book along with illustrations and worked examples which are enormously useful.

The final part of the book deals with implementation of water reuse. Issues such as responding to community concerns, development of support through educational programmes and the use of financial instruments have been discussed.

The increasing importance of water reclamation and reuse has led to the need for specialised instruction in the subject for the benefit of engineering and science students, practising engineers, scientists, project managers and government officials. Water Reuse ?Issues, Technologies and Applications fills a vacuum which has been felt for long. All the information scattered in conference papers, journal articles and discussion notes have been meticulously pieced together to present what must be the most complete treatise available on water reuse today.