The Location of Closed Watersheds for Urban Water Supplies: A Theoretical and Historical Analysis

Abstract

Over the course of their development, large cities and metropolitan regions have repeatedly changed their sources of drinking water. This work is an attempt to quantify and compare the effects of pipeline, land, and energy costs, as well as environmental conditions and regulation on the location of water-supply watersheds. Relatively unpolluted watersheds are the water sources for many large cities, such as New York, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The findings illustrate some of the important impacts of urban and regional growth on public works location and development.