ABSTRACT
One of the most common types of loss or investigation that is undertaken by the forensic engineer is that which is related to water. These losses take a variety of forms including the effects of ground water, open channel flow, flow in pipes, flow under pressure, the effects of rain water on structures, and the related components that are used to divert water in its many forms. These losses may be produced by naturally occurring water or by the diversion or restriction of water from effluent systems, sanitary systems, or naturally occurring surface or subsurface water flow. Water is a naturally occurring compound consisting of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen (H2O). Water in its chemically pure state is not found in nature. Normally water will contain a variety of chemical elements and compounds depending on the soil conditions over which it flows and the extent of purification that it undergoes by man-made structures and systems.
