BOOK REVIEW |
Safe Drinking Water. Lessons From Recent Outbreaks in Affluent Nations. Steve E. Hrudey and Elizabeth J. Hrudey. Published by International Water Association Publishing. ISBN: 1843390426. Price: £89.00. 486 pp.
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This book starts from that point and goes back to look at problems with water supply and quality that have occurred in many countries in the developed world. The authors suggest that the theme for their book is ‘converting hindsight into foresight’, at least in terms of water quality. Given the recurrent theme of complacency arising amongst custodians of water supplies this is a laudable aim.
The book has an introduction to the issue of water safety which talks about causes of water-borne disease outbreaks and the ways in which water is treated to try and ensure its safety. Much of the section on causes of water-borne outbreaks is relatively basic microbiology and will be known to many already. Nonetheless this is an interesting review and covers some of the microbes more recently associated with water-borne illness that were not widely considered even a decade ago. The section on water treatment is interesting and informative.
The next section has narratives on a large number of individual outbreaks of disease related to attempts to maintain high water quality. There is a section that covers outbreaks in the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s. Many of these are relatively short and to an extent intellectually unsatisfactory in that the details are sparse. Probably the most interesting section is the one on Walkerton where the authors have considerable detail because of their participation in the enquiry after the outbreak. In addition, there are sections on a significant outbreak in North Battleford in Saskatchewan, and an outbreak that has never been identified as being due to contaminated water in Edmonton, Alberta.
The book then goes on to consider the recurrent themes in many of these outbreaks and to suggest an approach that might help improve water quality and hence reduce the risks of incurring disease from the water supply.
This is certainly an interesting book for somebody involved in water quality. Many public health physicians will find it essential reading. For me it was particularly striking how often the same basic problems recurred in so many of the narratives. For the casual reader, the book may be less satisfying. Inevitably, because the errors of the individuals responsible for water quality are repeated in the lead up to the reported outbreaks, the book is to an extent repetitive. In addition, many of the reports of the individual outbreaks lack detail as much of the information was only available from public sources.
This book remains an invaluable exercise in recognizing the recurring nature of the errors that have arisen in the water industry. The apparent lack of the water providers' ability to learn from the experience of others has ensured that the consumers of water relive the experience of others. This book starkly illuminates this issue. It is essential reading for those whose professional responsibilities include water quality, and for those with an interest it is certainly worth reading.
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