THE INVESTIGATION OF DRINKING WATER 
SUPPLIES 
H. A. WHITTAKER 
The question of what constitutes a safe water supply for 
drinking purposes, and the proper method of determining 
this fact are subjects that have given sanitarians much con- 
cern ever since the discovery of water-borne diseases.  In- 
vestigators have worked for many years developing and per- 
fecting field and laboratory methods for the detection of un- 
safe supphes, devising corrective measures to eliminate the 
dangers found to exist, and preventing the repetition of these 
errors in new installations. This work has resulted in the 
discovery of certain general principles concerning the pro- 
tection of water supphes, and in establishing analytical 
methods and standards for their control. The application 
of these principles, methods, and standards to water supply 
investigations by different health organizations has differed 
widely throughout the country. The water supply service 
has often been adapted to the existing health organization 
rather than the organization being adjusted and equipped 
properly to handle the work. Some organizations have fol- 
lowed the dangerous practice of depending largely upon an 
analysis of the water without requiring a detailed field survey 
by a trained observer to secure accurate information regarding 
the location, construction, and the management of the supply. 
A common practice is to leave the ficld survey of the supply 
to untrained individuals in the local communities. Data 
sheets and sampling equipment are often furnished to local 
authorities and private citizens who collect the field data and 
water samples on which the safety of the supply is determined. 
There are several points in connection with this practice that 
are dangerous to public safety. The field survey, which is 
one of the most essential parts of the investigation, is placed 
