Water has become more visible as a global issue for several decades now, as the population of our planet expands, and the water sources available for use are subjected to increased stresses. This causes political tensions, and is reported and discussed in the popular press, such as those between the United States and Mexico, since virtually all of the Colorado River is diverted through damming projects, and none makes it into Mexican territory. Likewise, the death of the Aral Sea through the policies of the defunct Soviet Union has become an international problem for the newly independent nations of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that now border its area [1]. Regrettably, some nations may even go to war over the ownership and use of water, such as Turkey, Syria, and Iraq over the Euphrates and Tigris, with the damming of the latter via the Ilisu Dam [2]. Michael Denton states within his work, The Wonder of Water, “Within the range of temperatures and atmospheric conditions that exist on the Earth’s surface, only water exists as solid, liquid and gas” [3, 4]. The range of physical states, and the characteristics of the material in them, can be argued is what makes the variety of animal and plant life on the Earth possible.

Our authors have also contributed chapters that discuss water and new technologies, as well as some older, established ones. The idea of green roofs in an urban environment is treated, which spotlights an excellent use of rain water that traditionally has just been flushed away in storm sewers in residential or commercial zones in cities and towns, as shown in Figure 1.2, being considered more of a nuisance than a resource.

The discussion, study, and regulation of water are now broad enough that no single volume can probably encompass all aspects of it. But we hope the chapters here give good insights into this most useful, life-supporting material.