Plain Talk About Drinking Water, Sixth Edition
The first edition of this book was published more than 30 years ago. The goal of that book was to provide explanations for some of the questions that surround drinking water. Where does my tap water come from? How is it treated? Why does ice float? And to explain these things and more, in simple but factual language—using “plain talk.”
Description
Some things about drinking water haven’t changed, but many things have changed since the first edition of this book was published in 1992. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (established in 1972) was in its infancy in 1992. Since that time, the USEPA has continuously updated what is being regulated and how water utilities must operate. Bottled water wasn’t the multibillion-dollar industry that it is today. Now, many people say they get most of their drinking water from plastic bottles. Furthermore, our ability to detect substances in water using scientific instruments has dramatically increased in the past 30 years. Not only have the kinds of contaminants we’re concerned about changed, but also the amount of each contaminant that our water plants need to remove. Maybe the biggest difference is that when the first edition was published, the Internet was not yet available to the public. That didn’t happen until 1993. Now, the Internet is readily available and provides all kinds of information at our fingertips.
Drinking water is still an amazing, fascinating, and vital substance, so this book has been continually revisited through many editions. Water must not only be available and of good quality day in and day out, but literally all the time. This sixth edition builds on the work of the last five editions and seeks to answer questions about new and emerging contaminants and concerns while keeping the basic information that has been vetted through the years.
The nearly 250 questions and answers are organized by general topic area. The first chapter, “Health,” is the largest, filled with facts central to the question of, “Is my water safe to drink?” Read about water’s contribution to health, the occurrence and health effects of common chemical and microbial contaminants, treatment chemicals, travel precautions, and more. Other chapters provide information about:
• Taste, odor, and appearance—the aesthetics of your tap water;
• Home facts—ways in which water is used in a home as well as information about bottled water, home treatment, and costs;
• Sources—groundwater, surface water, reservoirs, pollution issues, and source water protection;
• Distribution—pipes, hydrants, tanks, and leaks;
• Conservation—the why, what, and how of saving water;
• Regulations and testing—the role of the federal, state, and provincial government; and,
• Fascinating facts—beyond drinking water, from solid to liquid to gas.