Introduction - The Drinking Water - page 4

Nature immediately goes to work to set in motion natural processes—known
as self-purification—designed to restore the stream to its normal, healthy
state. Only when such streams become overloaded with pollution or with
nonbiodegradable manmade contaminants does Nature have difficulty in
restoring the stream to its normal quality.
DID YoU KNoW?
Contrary to popular belief, raindrops are not shaped like teardrops.
Small raindrops (with a diameter of less than 0.1 inch, or 0.25 cm) are
shaped like a sphere; larger ones are shaped more like a hamburger
bun (USGS, 2011).
This text is intended to serve as a convenient, quick reference and to provide
technical support in the hands of the general public, sanitary engineers, pub-
lic health administrators, public works engineers, water treatment operators,
and college students in environmental health or public health engineering.
The purpose of this handbook is to evaluate and emphasize drinking water
quality control, from the source to the treatment plant, from the distribution
system to the consumer. The goal is to look closely at the factors that affect
water quality, including trihalomethanes, Cryptosporidium , viruses, carcino-
gens, and polychlorinated biphenyls, in addition to the traditional physical,
chemical, and bacteriological parameters. We address the challenges faced
by drinking water practitioners striving to provide the best drinking water
quality to the consumer. Specifically, we deal with the nature of these chal-
lenges (unsafe drinking water) and their solutions (how to make it safe), in
addition to exploring techniques that can be employed to mitigate the prob-
lem of unsafe drinking water through technology. We focus on science and
technology instead of “feel good” approaches simply because we have a clear
understanding that technology and politics are seldom a rational mix.
References and Recommended Reading
Lewis, S.A. (1996). The Sierra Club Guide to Safe Drinking Water . San Francisco: Sierra
Club Books.
Pielou, E.C. (1998). Fresh Water . Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
USGS. (2011). Are Raindrops Shaped Like Teardrops? Washington, DC: U.S. Geological
Survey ( http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/raindropshape.html ).