ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses one of the drinking water practitioner’s primary duties—finding and securing a source of potable water for human use. Freshwater sources that can provide stable and plentiful supplies for a community do not always occur where we wish. Most surface water originates directly from precipitation—rainfall or snow. To gain an appreciation for the impact of the runoff on surface water supplies, the chapter looks at the water balance in the United States. In areas where water supplies are less readily available and thus more costly, per capita consumption is much lower, due to both financial and conservation concerns. Impervious surfaces not only present flooding problems but also do not allow water to percolate into the soil to recharge groundwater supplies—a potentially devastating blow to a location’s water supply. Proper attention to our surface and groundwater sources, including remediation, pollution control, and water reclamation and reuse, can help to ease the strain.
