Potable Water: And the Relative Efficiency of Different Methods of Detecting Impurities (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Charles Watson Folkard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0656390522 ISBN 13: 9780656390526

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

How to tell if drinking water is truly safe—and what engineers can do to protect it.

This book surveys the science of detecting impurities in potable water and weighs the strengths and limits of several analytical methods. It argues that clean, safe water goes beyond quick chemical checks and requires practical management of sources, distribution, and contamination risks.

Written for engineers, public health workers, and policy makers, it reviews how water becomes contaminated, compares spring water to river or surface supplies, and discusses the real-world challenges of delivering safe water to large communities. The text presents historical experiments and professional debates about improving water supplies and preventing disease.

• Explanations of how different waters acquire impurities from the environment and distribution systems
• Evaluations of methods used to detect organic matter, nitrogen compounds, and other contaminants
• Insights into the limits of chemical analysis for judging safety and the importance of water source selection
• Practical views on springs, groundwater, and the role of proper filtration and infrastructure

Ideal for readers interested in the history of public health, civil engineering, and how communities pursued secure drinking water in the late 19th century.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0656390522
• ISBN 13: 9780656390526
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 138