External publications

Future drinking water infrastructure: building blocks for drinking water companies for their strategic planning

Büscher, Chris
External Publications (2019)

London/Nieuwegein: IWA Publishing/KWR Water Research Institute

ISBN: 978-1-78906-048-5
Open access

Drinking water is and will remain a topic of high priority on the international and national political agendas. A critical element of this agenda comprises the infrastructure required to extract, produce and distribute water. This study deals with drinking water infrastructure in the Netherlands that although highly advanced, faces some major challenges. Major parts of the infrastructure are in need of maintenance, replacement, expansion and/or adaptation to changes and such works are likely to take place in the (near) future. Surely, these do not take place all at the same time, at the same place. But it will require huge amounts of resources, financial or otherwise and, moreover, typically involves investments for the (very) long term. Those responsible for these investments will want to know how best to plan for and carry out such works. The aim of this book is to support in this task, by providing a framework that will help practitioners in their strategic planning of drinking water infrastructure investments. This introductory chapter provides the foci and main assumptions underpinning the chapters and findings in this book, and introduces the overarching framework, its elements and what the reader can expect in this book.