Book excerpt: The 2nd edition of Fundamentals of Wastewater Treatment and Design introduces readers to the fundamental concepts of wastewater treatment, followed by engineering design of unit processes for sustainable treatment of municipal wastewater and resource recovery. It has been completely updated with new chapters to reflect current advances in design, resource recovery practices and research. Another highlight is the addition of the last chapter, which provides a culminating design experience of both urban and rural wastewater treatment systems. Filling the need for a textbook focused on wastewater, it covers history, current practices, emerging concerns, future directions and pertinent regulations that have shaped the objectives of this important area of engineering. Basic principles of reaction kinetics, reactor design and environmental microbiology are introduced along with natural purification processes. It also details the design of unit processes for primary, secondary and advanced treatment, as well as solids processing and removal. Recovery of water, energy and nutrients are explained with the help of process concepts and design applications. This textbook is designed for undergraduate and graduate students who have some knowledge of environmental chemistry and fluid mechanics. Professionals in the wastewater industry will also find this a handy reference.