Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water最新文献

Water system centralization and decentralization have variously been promoted as key to achieving household water security and Sustainable Development Goal 6.1. We argue that the lack of specificity with which scholars and practitioners use the terms centralization and decentralization limits our understanding of different water system configurations and their impacts. In this Primer, we provide a framework for thinking about levels of (de)centralization across three linked system dimensions: infrastructure, governance, and operations and maintenance. We encourage those analyzing water systems to characterize (de)centralization with respect to these multiple dimensions, as well as the system's broader political-economic and hydro-climatic contexts. Emphasizing the importance of delineating the scale of analysis, we highlight distinct system configurations and the prevalence of hybridity. Increased specificity about dimensions and scale can clarify how the character of, or changes to, a given system impact users, which is critical to assessing their implications for water security, sustainability, and equity. We conclude with recommendations for future research to analyze the opportunities and challenges associated with different water system configurations. This article is categorized under: Human Water > Water Governance.

United States (US) drinking water quality is federally regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) with the goal of ensuring clean, safe drinking water for the entire population. However, siting of pollution point sources in historically redlined communities with lower socioeconomic status and higher proportions of people of color adversely affects drinking water quality. Prior studies show higher concentrations of a suite of contaminants in small PWS, PWS in rural areas, and PWS serving greater proportions of people of color. Drinking water crises in Flint, Michigan (ca. 2014) and Jackson, Mississippi (ca. 2022) are visible examples of a chronic and widespread pattern of elevated exposures in certain communities. Comprehensive state monitoring data produced as part of compliance with the SDWA are presently not accessible to the public. Further, metadata on water treatment technology and sociodemographic composition of customers served are lacking. Here we argue that improving data transparency is essential for spearheading action to address exposure disparities. We propose the creation of a unified national public database on water quality, treatment technology, and customer metadata with accompanying visualizations for the public that leverage new AI tools. Public action to address exposure disparities gained momentum over the last 30 years but was halted abruptly in 2025. Therefore, new partnerships are urgently needed to continue the pursuit of environmental justice.

Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms (HCBs) threaten ecological and human health, and their incidence and magnitude appear to be rising globally. However, a lack of guidance exists on how to choose the best HCB control and mitigation strategy for different types of water bodies. The portfolio of available in situ control techniques is diverse, ranging from experimental to well established, with complicated and poorly-documented records of effectiveness across different settings and a range of unintended ecological consequences. We introduce a decision tree that synthesizes current science and practitioner experience in a framework that can be used to examine conditions under which HCB control techniques are likely to be appropriate and most effective. The factors that establish branching and the classification of techniques within the decision tree were based on the review of peer-reviewed and gray literature, and on responses to a national survey. Key factors influencing the feasibility and effectiveness of HCB control include whether nutrient loads are sourced externally or internally, the size of the treatment area, and the vulnerability of and regulations governing the receiving water body. Survey results point to important regional differences in the application of HCB control techniques, whereas demonstration of the decision tree with real-world case studies highlights some of the practical issues managers face in making decisions about treatment techniques. Supporting Information provides a comprehensive review of current science, appropriate use, and costs for individual techniques.