he service provided to them will require careful development and capacity building, as well as access to and choice of alternatives. While it would be possible to envisage such schemes at the household or small community scale, this might not be appropriate in the context of INFRASTRUCTURE TO 2030: TELECOM, LAND TRANSPORT, WATER AND ELECTRICITY - ISBN 92-64-02398-4 © OECD 2006 5. THE IMPACTS OF CHANGE ON THE LONG-TERM FUTURE DEMAND FOR WATER SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE developing economies or in expanding megacities. It should however be possible to scale up such applications such that larger populations at suburb level could be served as in the "on-site" wastewater treatment systems now being utilised in the United States (USEPA, 2001) and Australia (WSAA, 2005). There will still be a need for interconnectivity between local systems, akin to the present distribution systems, as well as the resource, distribution and treatment systems, referred to here as inter-local systems. New biotechnologies present the possibility of using what were previously marginal quality waters - e.g. brackish, grey and black waters - as potential resources, reducing the demand for new resources. Remote sensing and monitoring technologies with GIS would allow for the micromanagement of nutrients in agriculture, and ecosystems would allow timely response to changes in runoff water quality. Coupled with this, satellite technology and GIS would provide early warning for extreme weather and other conditions, allowing the preparation and implementation of appropriate responses. The operation and maintenance of transmission, distribution and collection systems would also benefit from advances in nano- and biotechnology. Service providers would be presented with the opportunity and ability for in-system treatment, self-monitoring and automated robotic maintenance that optimise interventions, bio-/nanofilm coatings and waste products, along with energy and resource recovery. Where there are large water/wastewater treatment plants these would move fr