Abstract:The historical development of urban water systems and their management concepts are reviewed, and the disadvantages and limits of the classical centralized urban water systems are analyzed, including the destroying of the urban water environment and the water cycle, the difficulties in wastewater treatment, the great financial demands and the long time of construction. The challenges and opportunities for the management of urban water systems are pointed out, including the more frequent drought and extreme precipitation, the intensification of urbanization and the demands of technological and administrative progresses. The concept for the management of tomorrow's urban water systems is expounded: viewing the management of urban water systems as a whole should be taken as the guidance; water saving must be practiced, and the global finance, technologies and experiences in the field should be shared; this concept provides us with inspiration for the management and reform of the urban wat...更多er systems in China.