ABSTRACT
Source water quality is not the same all over the world. Arguably, it has the most variability of any raw material associated with the food industry. Deep wells, shallow wells, reservoirs, lakes, streams, rivers, even the oceans themselves are potential sources of useable water. The control and management of these water sources can vary along a spectrum from completely private control (for example, a plant well) to completely public control (for example, a municipal water source). Irrespective of whether a food plant has its own well, or it draws its water from a modern municipal treatment plant, each individual water supply
presents its own particular problems. This chapter discusses the importance of water sources to the food industry and provides information on minimizing risk through the use of source selection and protection strategies.
