ould be remembered that
neither bright appearance nor lack of bad taste warrants the belief
that water is free from dangerous contamination.

It is a well-established fact now that there is a relation between the
character of the water supply and the health of a community; and what
is true of cities, villages, and towns, is, of course, equally true of
the individual country house.

_How Water Becomes Contaminated_

There are numerous ways in which water may become polluted, either at
the source or during storage or finally during distribution. Rain
water, falling pure from the clouds, encounters dust, soot, decaying
leaves and other vegetable matters, and ordure of birds on the roofs;
its quality is also affected by the roofing material, or else it is
contaminated in the cisterns by leakage from drains or cesspools.
Upland waters contain generally vegetable matter, while surface water
from cultivated lands becomes polluted by animal manure. River water
becomes befouled by the discharge into it of the sewers from
settlements and towns located on its banks. Subsoil water is liable to
infiltration of solid and liquid wastes emanating from the human
system, from leaky drains, sewers, or cesspools, stables, or
farmyards; and even deep well water may become contaminated by reason
of defects in the construction of the well.

During storage, water becomes contaminated in open reservoirs by
atmospheric impurities; a growth of vegetable organisms or algae often
causes trouble, bad taste, or odor; water in open house tanks and in
cisterns is also liable to pollution. During distribution, water may
become changed in quality, owing to the action of the water on the
material of the pipes.

From what source shall good water be obtained? This is the problem
which confronts many of those who decide to build in the country.

The usual sources, in their relative order of purity, are: deep
springs and land or surface springs, located either above or below the
house, but not too near to settlements; deep subterranean water, made
available by boring or drilling a well; upland or mountain brooks
from uninhabited regions; underground water in places not populated,
reached by a dug or driven well; lake water; rain water; surface water
from cultivated fields; pond and river water; and finally, least
desirable of all, shallow well water in villages or towns. These
various sources of supply will be considered farther on.

_An Ample Vo