Annotated Links to Drinking Water
Related Sites

The following is a list of what I would consider Essential Sites for your study of drinking water.  They will provide you with a wealth of important and expert information about drinking water, safety and quality.

Water on Tap: A Consumer's Guide to the Nation's Drinking Water and
      Drinking Water and Health, both are from the U. S. Environmental
      Protection Agency (EPA).

Tapwater at Risk: This extensive, three-part newspaper series published in
      1996 by the Houston Chronicle explores the safety of the nation's tap water,
      explains the dangers threatening our water and describes what
      communities can do to protect it.

Safe Water for International Travelers: an independent organization that
       provides the best available information about water safety around the world.
       Information is gathered from the most important and trustworthy sources as
       the World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control (U.S.A), United
       Nations Development Program, UNICEF, etc, and after selecting the most
       significant and organizing it, is freely offered to international travelers. 

Drinking water quality and health - A good , brief overview of drinking water
      quality from the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  Also from the CDC, the
      Drinking Water site, where you can learn how to keep your drinking water
      safe and free of contaminants.

National Drinking Water Clearinghouse - Helping small communities by
      collecting, developing, and providing timely information relevant to drinking
      water issues.  Excellent resources including a very informative magazine,
      On Tap (Drinking Water News For America's Small Communities):  
        A Lesson in Microbiology: Are you confused by the difference between a
            virus and bacteria? Ever wonder about emerging pathogens? This article
            provides an overview on microbiology and provides a glimpse of a world
            we can’t even see. 
        Emerging and Re-Emerging Pathogens: Compelling Reasons to Protect
            Drinking Water. (pdf file)
          To Floridate or Not: Some Communities Still Struggle for an Answer. (pdf
             file)
        Disinfection Byproducts and Waterborne Disease: The Need for Balance
             is Essential. (pdf file)
        Endocrine Disruptors:  What are they doing to you?  Certain chemicals
             such as pesticides, fertilizers, fuel additives, and detergents, are routinely
             found in groundwater and surface water. These chemicals can interfere
             with the balance of normal hormone functions in animals, including
             humans. 
         Can Public Water Utilities Compete with Bottled Water?  Isolated water
             contamination incidents have turned people off from turning on their taps
             to enjoy a drink of water. Water coolers, once the central station for office
             gossip, are now found in home kitchens. Joggers, walkers, hikers, and
             bikers carry plastic bottles, chugging store-bought water instead of water
             from home....
         Groundwater 101:  One of our most valuable resources is right beneath
             our feet and we can’t even see it.
          Distribution 101:  How does water get from the source to your tap?- 
             Most customers think distribution systems are the network of pipes
             beneath roads and streets that transport  water from treatment plants to
             individual households, businesses, and other customers.  And while this
             is true, distribution systems also include pumps, storage tanks, fire
             hydrants, service connections, meters, and other equipment. 
           A Brief History of Drinking Water Distribution:
           Teaching Children about the Hydrologic Cycle - How do kids learn best
             about the hydrologic cycle and how important drinking water is? Today
             there are dozens of wonderful, colorful books about water. This is a review
             of first learning books, primarily picture and story books for children aged
             four to eight.
          What do ppm or ppb mean?  Most contaminants are expressed as parts
             per million (ppm). This means that the concentration of a particular
             substance is very low even though the regulatory agency may consider it a
             significant amount. (pdf file)

Drinking Water - A comprehensive list of government web resources that
      cover a wide variety of drinking water topics.

Important if you have children:
      information about drinking water and children's health
      information about lead in drinking water 
      EPA's table, Contaminants to Which Children May Be Particularly Sensitive

The American Water Works Association's The Story of Drinking Water -
      Basic but informative site - geared more toward children.

For a more in-depth look at many interesting aspects of water, go to the
      excellent site - H2O - The Mystery, Art, and Science of Water which
      includes  The Chemistry of Water by Professor Jill Granger.

Water Structure and Behavior - by Dr. Martin Chaplin.  Explanations of the
      complex behavior of water have been published, many quite recently. "In
      this site, I have brought together a self-consistent selection of these ideas,
      which I hope will encourage both the understanding of water and further
      work."  Also, look at his Magnetic water discussion.

No discussion about water treatment would be complete these days without
      mention of what I call "altered" water - water that has been treated in some
      way (clustering, photonic treatment, oxygenation, vortex treatments, etc.) to
      purportedly "enhance" it's health effects.  Regardless of any alleged  health
      benefits, these products are extremely effective at separating customers
      from their money - I have seen some of this bottled water sell for more than
      $16 a gallon (that's about 3,000 times more than the cost of tap water).  In
      my estimation, the fact that these products appear to flourish and multiply is
      a sad testament to the inability of many consumers to effectively evaluate
      claims about a product's effectiveness.
      Aqua Scams: water treatment pseudoscience and quackery, by Dr.
      Stephen K. Lower, "A retired chemistry professor who casts a jaundiced
      eye at alternative water treatment methods involving magnets, "catalysts",
      electric fields, methods, and similar dubious methods. The purpose of this
      site is to examine the scientific validity of the explanations given by the
      proponents of "alternative" water treatment devices or, in the case of
      "clustered water", of a fictional alternative form of water that is purported to
      be a restorer of youth and vigor. My motivation for doing this is entirely
      non-vested and very simple: after thirty-four years of teaching general,
      physical, and environmental Chemistry, it disturbs me to see my favorite
      science presented incorrectly (and often mangled into pseudoscience) in
      the promotion of processes or devices offered to the public.  The Water
      structure article is also interesting.   North Texas Skeptic has a discussion
      of "clustered water" claims.  I also devote a few paragraphs to discussing
      how to evaluate the claims made by these companies.

Cryptosporidium/coccidial/parasitology research Division of Biology,
      Kansas State University.  The definitive site for Cryptosporidium/Coccidial
      Research.

Information on Endocrine Disrupters - Endocrine Disrupters - All the better
      to confuse you with.  Also check out the National Environmental Health
      Association Position on Endocrine Disrupters and the Endocrine/Estrogen
      Letter (the most comprehensive source of unbiased, accurate information
      about the scientific, regulatory and political issues associated with

Links By Subject
You can view the entire link file sorted by subject (260K) or the smaller individual files below.

Children and Water Contaminants --- Drinking Water Contaminants --- Education Sites --- Emergency Drinking Water -- General Water Quality Information --- Health and Water --- Misc. Journal Abstracts --- Regulations and Violations --- Risk Analysis and Contaminants --- Site Search Engines --- Water Treatment Options (updated 2/18/02)

Links By Category
  You can view the entire link file sorted by category (270K) or the smaller individual files below.

Environmental Sites --- Federal and National Sites --- Journals, Newsletters, etc. --- News Groups, Magazines, Books, etc. --- Organizations, Manufacturers, Certification --- Miscellaneous Sites --- Water Treatment Facilities --- University Related Sites and Extension Services --- International Sites --- State Related Sites