Sustainable urban water management has become an important and relevant issue. In a world of increasing complexity, researchers, engineers and managers are focused on developing reliable and practical solutions. Normally it is civil and electromechanical engineers who face these problems, providing technically-based solutions. However, these solutions need to be integrated with the decisions which managers reach. Complementary and diverse solutions, emanating from these very different backgrounds, are the way forward. The integration of these approaches was one of the main objectives of the PEDS 2003 international conference. The topics covered included system management; network analysis and modelling; water losses; planning and decision support system; the planning and design, operation and maintenance of pumping stations; valves; transients; monitoring, control and regulation.