In 1978, when this book was first published, the provision of water services was a fundamental environmental issue. In England and Wales, organizations were created to protect and enhance the nation's water resources. This book considers the problems involved in achieving those objectives and attempts to assess the potential of the organizational arrangements to assist. Each type of water management problem is presented in the context of an actual example. The conflicts inherent in the need for surface reservoirs are discussed using the Lake District as an example. The Severn Trent river system is used as the basis for an examination of flood damage reduction. The Mersey and Trent river systems are used similarly when effluent disposal and river quality are discussed. Amongst other questions covered are spray irrigation and the control of groundwater resources. A final chapter deals with national aspects of water management including the proposal in 1973 for a 'national water grid'. This is a book for those seriously concerned with water management both in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.