Beyond Economies of Scale: The Case for Distributed Water and Sanitation

WASH Talk with Dr. Nancy G. Love For generations, centralized water systems have driven economic growth and urban resilience, backed by the long-held belief that bigger scale always means better efficiency and quality. However, rapid advancements in digital tools and innovative treatment schemes now challenge this traditional "economies of scale" axiom. This presentation explores how hybrid and robust distributed water and sanitation infrastructure solutions can create safe, practical, and highly efficient water systems for today's cities and rural communities.