Book excerpt: Treating potable and polluted water for the world's population is still one of our most important challenges. The United Nations estimate that more than 1.2 billion people suffer from inadequate water supply and an even larger number, up to 4 billion people, are without hygienic disposal of waste and wastewater. Water technology and the necessary "know-how transfer", has been the key objective of the Gothenburg symposia from the very beginning. The contents of this book respond to these challenges and demonstrate the impressive development of the field of chemical waster and wastewater treatment. The Chemical Water and Wastewater Treatment Series provides authoritative coverage of the key current developments in the chemical treatment of water and wastewater in theory or practice and related problems such a s sludge production and properties, and the reuse of chemicals and chemically-treated waters and sludges. For the tenth in the series, the contributions document the development if the field of chemical water and wastewater technology, both in terms of new technological developments as well as public and administrative acceptance and approval of the solutions offered. Such new developments include the use of membrane technology, the application of computational tools for kinetic process modelling and optimisation as well as the use of advanced oxidation processes in actual water treatment. Chemical Water and Wastewater Treatment VII covers fundamental science, new technological developments and practical experience and is an invaluable reference source for engineers scientists and administrators, active in the treatment of drinking water, municipal and industrial wastewater and sludges.