*Degradation and Improvement of Urban River Water Quality DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98694*

parts of the world, point source discharge is varied. In China, worsening water quality throughout the major water basins has generated national pollution discharge standards [54]. These standards are technology driven and challenges remain with implementation at the local level. Other parts of the world may be considered even less centrally regulated. While Latin America is known for a system of concentrated central government, water protection law is often spread throughout multiple disparate agencies and ununiformly enforced. Shahady and Boniface [55] reviewed water law in Costa Rica and found five distinct agencies throughout health, sanitation, irrigation, regulation and local water boards with shared responsibility in water protection. This system is very effective in some areas while lacking in others.

This permitting system has shown success toward improving water quality. In the USA, direct reductions in pollutants from wastewater have shown water quality improvements even in large systems such as the Chesapeake Bay [56]. In Europe, clear progress has been made in reducing emissions into urban rivers and lakes; this has been done through connections to sewers, the introduction of wastewater treatment and the upgrading of earlier treatment plants [57]. Elsewhere challenges remain. In much of the developing world urbanization is proceeding at a much faster rate than treatment infrastructure can accommodate [58]. There is room for considerable water quality improvement through point source control in many areas of the world [59].
