residues is applied to the land, it undergoes numerous chemical, physical and biological reactions. In its nitrate form (NO3), it can move down through soil into groundwater. Nitrate can also be a factor in surface water quality problems. In sufficient concentrations, nitrate in drinking water can be toxic to infants. Scientists are also investigating possible links between nitrate and other lo...

The setting of guidelines is a key normative function of the World Health Organization. This chapter examines the development of the current water-related WHO guidelines. Within the area of water, microbiology and guideline setting there are three distinct but related areas, namely: x drinking water; x wastewater reuse; and x recreational water. The following explores the background to the curr...

Drinking water quality in the United States (US) is among the safest in the world. However, many residents, often in rural areas, rely on unregulated private wells or small municipal utilities for water needs. These utilities may violate the Safe Drinking Water Act contaminant guidelines, often because they lack the required financial resources. Residents may use alternative water sources or in...

Around one billion people live in extreme poverty, suffering from economic deprivation so severe that they must struggle daily for survival. Extreme poverty is sometimes defined as living on under $1 a day, but more accurately it is the lack of reliable access to basic needs, including adequate food, basic health services, safe drinking water and connectivity with the wider world (via roads, po...

Desalination has been considered as an essential way to solve water stress all over the world. Most of previous studies focused on its environmental impacts, energy consumption and desalination technologies rather than human health. However, the safety of desalinated water remains unclear. This study was undertaken to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of the residents in an...

Two surveys of consumer satisfaction with drinking water conducted by Taiwan Water Supply Corp. are presented in this study. The study results show that although a lot of money was invested to modify traditional treatment processes, over 60% of local residents still avoided drinking tap water. Over half of the respondents felt that sample TT (from the traditional treatment process) was not a go...

The daily drinking of three liters of water with meals, for a period of five days, by a man twenty-two years of age who was in a condition of nitrogen equilibrium through the ingestion of a uniform diet, was productive of the following findings : 1. An increase in body weight, aggregating two pounds in five days. 2. An increased excretion of urinary nitrogen, the excess nitrogen being mainly in...