The Home Water Supply: How to Find, Filter, Store, and Conserve It

This is the first Amazon book review I've ever written, after dozens of purchases, so that fact alone and the impetus for me to write a review must say something. This book is absolutely amazing!! Most laypeople know very little about water, despite it being the most important thing in our lives in myriad ways. I bought this out of my general interest in water issues like this, which this book is great for in and of itself. But when I got it I quickly found that it covers WAY more than that and does so extremely well (no pun intended, but it appears a lot here!). He is an excellent writer who can explain complicated things very well with text and excellent illustrations, all of which are easy-to-understand and yet comprehensive enough to actually be meaningful to any interested reader who may want to use the information now or later. This also is a good book for those who are concerned about water on other levels (no pun meant again, sorry!) and for an overall perspective on it but want a better handle on the complexities of water use systems-this is great for that insight. As at least one other reviewer stated, his examples and stories are great. I intend now to purchase some of the other books he has written, I like his perspectives and writing and the environmental subjects of importance he tackles. Mr. Campbell is regionally near me thus his perspectives are directly beneficial to me, but he incorporates a national and even global perspective where needed, like western water 'wars.' I have two properties in the same region as him which are both supplied by well water and both have "well-point" wells hand-driven by my father himself with a sledge hammer. One has been operable without issues since the early 1940's, the other since the 1970's! The later one was 'doused,' then the well driven at the douse stake and it has NEVER gone dry nor even limited/lower capacity. This book gave me unexpected information about things I needed and wanted to know about both of those two wells and properly getting water out of them, but had no clue I would learn in this book before I read it. Things I had been fretting about but not knowing where I could get the information! Now I HAVE the exact information I knew I needed but for which I had no source. The author's inclusion of a section on water-dousing was convincing to me and lead me to believe it is all valid and true. My Dad had the '1970's well property' doused first to locate water because it was a tricky situation--a triangular lot with an abutter's house close by, a septic system on our lot, and a lakefront along the other side, from all of which the new well had to be certain distances from. The fact my Dad was going to drive the well by sledge-hammering required an enhanced probability that the difficult effort of doing that would not be in vain. The douser did his job perfectly, the well was driven right at his stake and we've had excellent water ever since! Someone else said the book wasn't technical enough--hey buy a technical journal for that really technical stuff, but buy this one for overview with enough good specific information to get you well on your way. This is the book for you if you are contemplating installing/or have a pond, any sort of well, or to tap an existing spring or pond for water, or want to actually create (he calls it "develop," which is probably a better word) a new spring on your land for potable water, or want to capture, move (and even store) any water for other uses than drinking, or if you already have any of those elements and want solid information about them for preservation, enhancement, maintenance, and transport of water to, into and from them, no matter if your well is/will be hand dug, augered, driven, water-blasted or drilled and/or what have you. He addresses everything that I could thing of as relevant to the subject and gives some direction on other information sources and paths to go even on things he doesn't get into in great depth about (another pun, sigh....8-). Great book!

Remarkably, for a book published in 1983, this book is still an excellent summary or review of the challenges and considerations inherent in building a pond or “body of water” now. Some technology is understandably not covered, e.g. polymer waterproofing of leaking pond bottoms, but still, it is a good addition to the library of the rural resident thinking of adding, reinforcing or expanding a water supply on the property. I own 10 acres in Northern Montana with a “4-5 months of the year pond,” and this is a good stepping-off point for what I do next to make it year-around.

I bought this book to help with redesigning a water supply at a remote cabin (beyond the reach of any municipal water system). It gives an introduction to the principles that apply to situations like this, as well as a range of specific solutions. And for the solutions, the author doesn't just say, "Do it this way." He says, "Do it this way so that you avoid such and such." There are also sketches that show what the result will look like, what the water is doing beneath the ground, etc. etc.I have no background in doing this kind of work. But the author gives me confidence so that, when I look at the system I have, I understand it, and even more importantly, I understand its flaws and what to do about them. It's hard to imagine more in a slender volume like this.

Could have included stream/creek flow operated pumps. Otherwize well researched & authored

Couldn't ask for a better primer and reference. Just got on a well system so know a bit more than I knew before.

Great buy and fantastic condition. Great price and Fast shipping. I am very happy and will buy from them again.

Well Written and concise.

good info