Public agencies and industry will probably spend tens of billions of dollars on new water pollution abatement facilities in the next few decades. Added billions will be spent for the operation of new and existing facilities. How can physical science research reduce the cost of achieving objectives? And how can social science research make sure that the right objectives are being efficiently pursued? This title, first published in 1962, is directed to the orientation of the research effort, and the tool used for this purpose is an economic framework. This book will be of interest to students of economics and environmental studies.

Preface; Acknowledgements; Part 1: An Economic Framework; 1. Introduction 2. Water Pollution - Nature, Effects, Treatment, Alternatives to Treatment 3. Economic Efficiency, Social Policy and the Pollution Policy 4. Evaluation - Determination and Integration of Individual and Social Values - Focus of Public Policy; Part 2: Research Needs; 5. The Effect of Wastes on Receiving Water -Some Computational and Scientific Problems 6. Deficiencies in Technical and Economic Knowledge - Damages, Treatment, and Abatement Costs 7. Problems in Devising Procedures for Approximating Optimum Systems 8. Summary of Part 1 and a Brief Review of Selected Research Needs