Urban Water Supply: From Safe and Reliable to Green and Healthy

Hesong Wang; Heng Liang

doi:10.53941/ges.2026.100007

Abstract

Urban water supply systems have traditionally focused on ensuring safe and reliable water delivery to support public health and urban development. This paradigm, built on centralized treatment and disinfection, has effectively controlled microbial risks but is increasingly challenged by concerns over chemical exposure, ecological impacts, and long-term sustainability. Consequently, urban water supply is undergoing a transition from a safety-oriented framework toward a green and healthy paradigm that emphasizes reduced chemical dependence, preservation of natural water characteristics, and enhanced system resilience. This transformation calls for rethinking both technological pathways and system integration. Nature-based processes and membrane-based separations are emerging as key approaches to support this shift. Overall, the evolution toward green and healthy water supply reflects an advancing move toward adaptive, integrated, and sustainability-oriented urban water management.

References

1.
UN Water. (Ed.) The United Nations World Water Development Report: Water for Prosperity and Peace; UNESCO: Paris, France, 2024; ISBN 978-92-3-100657-9.
2.
Larsen, T.A.; Hoffmann, S.; Lüthi, C.; et al. Emerging Solutions to the Water Challenges of an Urbanizing World. Science 2016, 352, 928–933.
3.
Fu, G.; Jin, Y.; Sun, S.; et al. The Role of Deep Learning in Urban Water Management: A Critical Review. Water Res. 2022, 223, 118973.
4.
Keeler, B.L.; Hamel, P.; McPhearson, T.; et al. Social-Ecological and Technological Factors Moderate the Value of Urban Nature. Nat. Sustain. 2019, 2, 29–38.
5.
Wan Rosely, W.I.H.; Voulvoulis, N. Systems Thinking for the Sustainability Transformation of Urban Water Systems. Crit. Rev. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, 53, 1127–1147.
6.
Zhang, H.; Wang, S.; Li, Z.; et al. Pinch Analysis for Water-Energy Nexus in Urban Water Systems. J. Clean. Prod. 2025, 521, 146168.
7.
Rauch, W.; Urich, C.; Bach, P.M.; et al. Modelling Transitions in Urban Water Systems. Water Res. 2017, 126, 501–514.
8.
Ferguson, B.C.; Brown, R.R.; Deletic, A. Diagnosing Transformative Change in Urban Water Systems: Theories and Frameworks. Glob. Environ. Chang. 2013, 23, 264–280.
9.
Delile, H.; Blichert-Toft, J.; Goiran, J.-P.; et al. Lead in Ancient Rome’s City Waters. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2014, 111, 6594–6599.
10.
How, Z.T.; Kristiana, I.; Busetti, F.; et al. Organic Chloramines in Chlorine-Based Disinfected Water Systems: A Critical Review. J. Environ. Sci. 2017, 58, 2–18.
11.
Sarasidis, V.C.; Plakas, K.V.; Karabelas, A.J. Novel Water-Purification Hybrid Processes Involving In-Situ Regenerated Activated Carbon, Membrane Separation and Advanced Oxidation. Chem. Eng. J. 2017, 328, 1153–1163.
12.
Jiang, H.; Wang, P.; Zhao, Q.; et al. Enhanced Water Permeance and Antifouling Performance of Gravity-Driven Ultrafiltration Membrane with In-Situ Formed Rigid Pore Structure. J. Membr. Sci. 2022, 644, 120154.
13.
Lam, K.L.; Liu, G.; Motelica-Wagenaar, A.M.; et al. Toward Carbon-Neutral Water Systems: Insights from Global Cities. Engineering 2022, 14, 77–85.
14.
Singh, J.; Saharan, V.; Kumar, S.; et al. Laccase Grafted Membranes for Advanced Water Filtration Systems: A Green Approach to Water Purification Technology. Crit. Rev. Biotechnol. 2018, 38, 883–901.
15.
Yu, H.; Li, X.; Chang, H.; et al. Performance of Hollow Fiber Ultrafiltration Membrane in a Full-Scale Drinking Water Treatment Plant in China: A Systematic Evaluation during 7-Year Operation. J. Membr. Sci. 2020, 613, 118469.
16.
Wang, H.; Yu, Z.; Liao, M.; et al. Replacing Traditional Pretreatment in One-Step UF with Natural Short-Distance Riverbank Filtration: Continuous Contaminants Removal and TMP Increase Relief. Water Res. 2024, 249, 120948.
17.
Li, S.; Wang, X.; Guo, Y.; et al. Recent Advances on Cellulose-Based Nanofiltration Membranes and Their Applications in Drinking Water Purification: A Review. J. Clean. Prod. 2022, 333, 130171.
18.
Yang, Z.; Sun, P.-F.; Li, X.; et al. A Critical Review on Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes with Interlayered Structure: Mechanisms, Recent Developments, and Environmental Applications. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020, 54, 15563–15583.
19.
Tang, X.; Guo, T.; Chang, H.; et al. Membrane Fouling Alleviation by Chemically Enhanced Backwashing in Treating Algae-Containing Surface Water: From Bench-Scale to Full-Scale Application. Engineering 2022, 19, 40–49.
20.
Xu, D.; Xie, Y.; Jin, X.; et al. A Comparison of Typical Ultrafiltration Processes in Drinking Water Treatment: Implications for Fouling Control and Disinfection Performance. Sep. Purif. Technol. 2024, 338, 126426.
21.
Zazouli, M.A.; Kalankesh, L.R. Removal of Precursors and Disinfection By-Products (DBPs) by Membrane Filtration from Water; a Review. J. Env. Health Sci. Eng. 2017, 15, 25.
22.
Foorginezhad, S.; Zerafat, M.M.; Ismail, A.F.; et al. Emerging Membrane Technologies for Sustainable Water Treatment: A Review on Recent Advances. Environ. Sci. Adv. 2025, 4, 530–570.
23.
Landaburu-Aguirre, J.; Molina, S. Circular Economy in Membrane Technology. Membranes 2023, 13, 784.
24.
Othman, N.H.; Alias, N.H.; Fuzil, N.S.; et al. A Review on the Use of Membrane Technology Systems in Developing Countries. Membranes 2021, 12, 30.
25.
Gao, W.; Wang, Z.; Duan, F.; et al. Comprehensive Assessment of Membrane Technology for Typical Water Treatment Processes: A Critical Review. Desalination 2025, 614, 119171.
26.
Bai, Y.; Shan, F.; Zhu, Y.; et al. Long-Term Performance and Economic Evaluation of Full-Scale MF and RO Process—A Case Study of the Changi NEWater Project Phase 2 in Singapore. Water Cycle 2020, 1, 128–135.
27.
Lefebvre, O. Beyond NEWater: An Insight into Singapore’s Water Reuse Prospects. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sci. Health 2018, 2, 26–31.
28.
Guo, Y.; Bai, L.; Tang, X.; et al. Coupling Continuous Sand Filtration to Ultrafiltration for Drinking Water Treatment: Improved Performance and Membrane Fouling Control. J. Membr. Sci. 2018, 567, 18–27.
29.
Pronk, W.; Ding, A.; Morgenroth, E.; et al. Gravity-Driven Membrane Filtration for Water and Wastewater Treatment: A Review. Water Res. 2019, 149, 553–565.
30.
Chang, H.; Zhu, Y.; Yu, H.; et al. Long-Term Operation of Ultrafiltration Membrane in Full-Scale Drinking Water Treatment Plants in China: Characteristics of Membrane Performance. Desalination 2022, 543, 116122.
31.
Javed, A.; Wu, W.; Sun, Q.; et al. Leak Management in Water Distribution Networks Through Deep Reinforcement Learning: A Review. Water 2025, 17, 1928.
32.
Xia, H.; Wang, C.; Sun, J.; et al. Multi-Scale Closed-Loop Coupled Real-Time Water Quantity Optimization Scheduling of Cascade Pumping Station in Water Supply Canal Systems. J. Hydrol. 2024, 641, 131802.
33.
Zhang, Q.; Yang, J.; Zhang, W.; et al. Deep Fuzzy Mapping Nonparametric Model for Real-Time Demand Estimation in Water Distribution Systems: A New Perspective. Water Res. 2023, 241, 120145.

Scilight Press

Author Information

Highlights

Abstract

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

References

About Scilight

Journals

Publishing Policies

Contact Us