Exurban Living Using Improved Water and Wastewater Technology

Abstract

Millions of American households are choosing to live in the exurban countryside that lies beyond the suburban fringe. This trend will transform the politics, government, and economic structure of the nation. The trend is driven in part because millions of households prefer the lifestyle opportunities of the country far from urbanized areas. But those households also do not wish to live a rustic lifestyle. Modern technology allows them to have a rural lifestyle with many urban conveniences such as electricity, telephone, and television with satellite reception. Modern technology also enables them to sever the urban umbilical cord by substituting on‐site wastewater and water treatment in the most problematic terrain. This paper describes the exurbanizing trend and how improved on‐site water and wastewater technology contributes to the trend. It also discusses some problems of such technology for urban planning. It concludes with a call for more conscientious research into the causes and consequences of exurbanization.