The pocketbook on urban drainage has served engineers in the field of municipal water management as a reliable working aid for decades. The book was first written by Karl Imhoff in 1906, with the aim of providing young engineers of the newly established Emscher Association in Essen with concise information necessary for the drainage and treatment of wastewater in a densely populated industrial area. The book has maintained its concise and precise style since the first edition and continues to avoid time-consuming calculations and extensive foundational knowledge. As a result, it remains an indispensable reference work for many engineers, allowing them to find municipal water management solutions for current issues in a short amount of time. The book has been translated into several languages.