To date, different water-quality indices (WQIs) categorizing water bodies have flourished in the literature. While this type of index has normally been applied to data sets from manual monitoring programs, we focus attention on the analysis of data from automated sampling networks, from which measurements of a small number of physico-chemical variables are usually obtained from different locations with high temporal resolution.
To deal with data of this nature, we compare different indices for the physico-chemical evaluation of water quality. As a result, we select the WQI of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME WQI) as the most suitable. Our interest in using this WQI rests on its flexibility for selecting parameters as well as the possibility of modifying the objectives to be met by each variable according to the specific end use of the water.
In this chapter we examine the dimensions of sustainability for urban water supply systems, beginning with a look at the state of current water supply systems in the developed world and drivers for sustainability in water infrastructure. We propose a new paradigm for urban water supply systems, one that integrates engineered and natural infrastructure. We conclude with consideration of the technological developments necessary to set us on the path toward sustainably engineered water supply systems.