This database encompasses all aspects of the impact of people and technology on the environment and the effectiveness of remedial policies and technologies, featuring more than 950 journals published in the U.S. and abroad. The database also covers conference papers and proceedings, special reports from international agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities, associations and private corporations. Other materials selectively indexed include significant monographs, government studies and newsletters.

UN studies show that high-income, developed nations treat about 70 percent of their wastewater. However, in low-income developing nations, only 8 percent of wastewater undergoes any kind of treatment. Inadequate water treatment has serious consequences for both human health and the environment. The articles in this compendium provide a representative cross sample of both developing and developed nations' water treatment facilities. Included are the following topics: Reclaimed water for irrigation reuse in developing countries Sludge-handling practices in Micronesia The removal of phthalate esters from Chinese water sources Disposal of domestic wastewater in Nigeria Ameba-enrichment in a South African water treatment plant Bioenergy from wastewater produced by a Brazilian meat-processing plant The presence of various pharmaceutical contaminants in the River Thames Wastewater recycling in Greece The impact on surface water from contaminants released from German water treatment plants A Canadian constructed wetland's effectiveness for the removal of various contaminants from wastewater Accessing irrigation from treated wastewater in the United States The spacial distribution of fecal indicator bacteria in the groundwater beneath two American water treatment plants Detection of contamination from retinoid acid reception agonists in Japanese water treatment plants The editor, a respected international expert in the field, has selected investigations that offer essential information for ongoing research at the graduate and professional levels, as well as for environmental engineers and others responsible for choosing the most efficient water treatment technologies.

In 1997, New York City adopted a mammoth watershed agreement to protect its drinking water and avoid filtration of its large upstate surface water supply. Shortly thereafter, the NRC began an analysis of the agreement's scientific validity. The resulting book finds New York City's watershed agreement to be a good template for proactive watershed management that, if properly implemented, will maintain high water quality. However, it cautions that the agreement is not a guarantee of permanent filtration avoidance because of changing regulations, uncertainties regarding pollution sources, advances in treatment technologies, and natural variations in watershed conditions. The book recommends that New York City place its highest priority on pathogenic microorganisms in the watershed and direct its resources toward improving methods for detecting pathogens, understanding pathogen transport and fate, and demonstrating that best management practices will remove pathogens. Other recommendations, which are broadly applicable to surface water supplies across the country, target buffer zones, stormwater management, water quality monitoring, and effluent trading.

Environmental problems in coastal ecosystems can sometimes be attributed to excess nutrients flowing from upstream watersheds into estuarine settings. This nutrient over-enrichment can result in toxic algal blooms, shellfish poisoning, coral reef destruction, and other harmful outcomes. All U.S. coasts show signs of nutrient over-enrichment, and scientists predict worsening problems in the years ahead. Clean Coastal Waters explains technical aspects of nutrient over-enrichment and proposes both immediate local action by coastal managers and a longer-term national strategy incorporating policy design, classification of affected sites, law and regulation, coordination, and communication. Highlighting the Gulf of Mexico's "Dead Zone," the Pfiesteria outbreak in a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, and other cases, the book explains how nutrients work in the environment, why nitrogen is important, how enrichment turns into over-enrichment, and why some environments are especially susceptible. Economic as well as ecological impacts are examined. In addressing abatement strategies, the committee discusses the importance of monitoring sites, developing useful models of over-enrichment, and setting water quality goals. The book also reviews voluntary programs, mandatory controls, tax incentives, and other policy options for reducing the flow of nutrients from agricultural operations and other sources.