The Urban Water Journal provides a forum for the research and professional communities dealing with water systems in the urban environment, directly contributing to the discussion on sustainable development. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of interrelationships and interactions between the individual water systems, urban water bodies (including groundwater) and the environment. The journal encourages the adoption of an integrated approach to solve the numerous problems associated with sustainable urban water management.

The journal focuses on the water-related infrastructure in the city; namely potable water supply and distribution, sewerage and storm drainage. Specific topics include: network management, operation and rehabilitation; demand management and levels of service, water recycling and source control at multiple scales, as well as potable and wastewater treatment systems, where they relate to and interact with their respective networks. Papers discussing issues related to the monitoring, utilisation and management of urban groundwater are encouraged, as are papers concerned with water-sensitive planning and design (including analysis of interactions of the urban water cycle with city planning and landscaping), decision-making and informatics support, operational and asset management and associated economics. A strong emphasis is placed on data needs, acquisition and processing, knowledge discovery, quantification and management of uncertainty and the assurance of data and model quality and robustness.

The Urban Water Journal is particularly interested in identifying, analysing and providing innovative solutions to challenges in sustainable urban water management in both the developed and the developing world including issues of education and vocational training of specialists in urban water.