Page 14 RAIN July 1980 ( WATER ) Residential Water Re-Use by Murray Milne, 1979, 553 pp., $10.00 from: California Water Resources Center University of California Davis, CA 95616 In 1978 California found itself in the midst of one of the worst droughts in that state's history. Confronted with the drying up of o~e of their most crucial resources, Californians learned about conserving, the fast and hard way. But California is known for its innovations and "Save water, shower with a friend" was only the beginning. In Residential Water Re-Use a group of graduate students in Architecture and Planning at UCLA have compiled some of the water saving systems people came up with, plus a comprehensive discussion of rainwater groundwater, garden re-uses, and re-u~e system components. The descriptions of tried and proposed systems will stimulate ideas of your own and are specifically aimed at "the layperson who has some experience in home maintenance" rather than an engineering or plumbing background. All _of the sys_tems descriped utilize readily ava_ilable eqmpment and are inexpensive, easily maintained and designed for residential scale usage. One concern we have is VELOCIPEDE RECYCLING SHOWER that although the potential problems of water re-use are basically introduced they are not explored in great depth. There are, however, pages of references at the back of the book that would be good to turn to with specific concerns such as virus and bacterial content of grey water, scum and p~rticulate build-up in systems, problems with ~dor_s, etc. The book provides good technical mformation and an excellent overview, including some little historical/ political tidbits like the story about the Manhattan Company. Maneuvering of a dubious nature by one Aaron Burr (a New York assemblyman at the time) resulted in the water works for the Big Apple being cha~tered to the Manhattan Company (which Aaron Burr controlled). Profits from the delivery of water were turned into the_Ba~k of the Manhattan Company, which m 1955 was to merge with the Chase National Bank to become the Chase Manhattan. Anyway, this is a very good book! -CC with John Harland John i~ an engineer with many years of experience on water and waste water treatment projects, including water re-use systems. • Water Fit to Drink, by Carol Keough, 1980, $5.95, 280 pp., from: Rodale Press Inc. Emmaus, PA 18049 How safe is the water we drink? How much do organic chemicals in drinking water contribute ~o increased cancer death? Are we and our children about to experience waterborne toxic chemical-caused disease epide~ics comparable to the cholera and typh01d of a century ago? After reading Water Fit to Drink by Carol Keough, it is easy to conclude that we should not be taking what comes from the faucet for granted. Thei book begins by presenting some past cases of water contamination and government response, or lack thereof. There is a host of_well-resear~hed examples showing how widespread, diverse and horrifying the problems and potential problems are. Water, a~ter all, is not just water. It also may conta~n salts, bacteria, viruses, organic chemicals, trace metals vital to life, toxic metals, asbestos fibers, nitrates and radi?a~tive elements. It may be hard or soft, acidic, neutral or alkaline. Each condition is described in detail along with its benefits and probl~~s. For example, soft water may become aodic and corrode pipes, adding metals such as lead, iron and asbestos to the distribution system. While hard water may cause scum around the bath, magnesium (one of the main constituents of hard waer) may_help prevent heart attacks and hyper- ~ens10n. Iron and zinc may prevent poisonmg from toxic cadmium metal. Water Fit to Drink helps you examine your tap water to find which pollutants may be contaminating it, and how to get it tested at a reasonable price. If your water is contaminated, the book, true to Rodale Press philosophy, will tell you what to do about it. - John Harland Compost Toilets: A Guide for OwnerBuilders, 1979, 51 pp., $2.00 from: National Center for Appropriate Technology P.O. Box 3838 Butte, MT 59701 The prospective compost toilet builder who reads this NCAT report will find no promises of a rose garden-or even of a usable fertilizer to spread on one. The writers are matter~of-fac~ about compost toilets being a good idea with a high potential for headaches, and their clear descriptions of what to expect in the way of pathogens, insects, and liquid build-up provide valuable forewarning for those of us accustomed to dealing with a simple flush rather than a complex ecosystem. This is not a construction ma~ual, but it can familiarize you with the basic cost, design and construction considerations for the various kinds of home-built toilets (slant-bottom, drum privy, vaulttype, etc.) and provide you with a number of references to more detailed sources of information. -JF ~ ~I~ Mta-l/N~ ~f::R ~ l(ITGHl::N ~ INK ===;) '?~ "T.At«. CON1°AIN~ CoM~ 1$ 1HE C~Y qy01~
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