Climate Change Implications for DBP Occurrence in Municipal Drinking Water

Disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors are inextricably linked to the landscapes and waters on which they originate and transform. Warming global temperatures, hydroclimatic change, and climate shocks alter key landscape characteristics (e.g., land cover and soil characteristics) and responses (e.g., erosion and runoff), altering the mobilization and delivery of disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors to water supplies. In this chapter, the inter-relationships between (1) global warming, (2) hydroclimatic change and climate shocks, (3) landscape characteristics, (4) landscape responses to changes in landscape characteristics, and (5) DBP precursor delivery and change in aquatic systems are discussed.