The 2010 "Environmental Sciences: Water" conference will continue the tradition of being a forum for the most recent and stimulating research in the areas of environmental engineering, environmental chemistry, and aquatic sciences. An organizing principle for the upcoming meeting is a focus on research that advances a molecular-level understanding of aquatic environmental systems. This meeting also occurs during a time of rapid change in the environmental landscape due to pressures from a changing climate, increased global economic development, and their associated impacts on natural resources. Consequently, this meeting will additionally focus on environmental issues that are expected to increase in importance in the coming decades. These topics will include (1) worsening environmental quality in oceans and coastal zones, (2) water quality issues in emerging economies, and (3) novel tools and methods to study and anticipate change in aquatic environments.