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s_smiadak's review against another edition
3.0
3.5.... While the book is well researched and contains lot of valuable insights, it is extremely dense and took me forever to get through. It's not poorly written by any means but it definitely could have been more concise and still just as informative.
rinnyssance's review against another edition
5.0
This book was well-researched and exceeded expectations. I learned quite a bit.
lbeckett's review against another edition
5.0
Crossing the country many times through expert interviews, sharing anecdotes, and laying a groundwork of historical facts all contribute to an engaging nonfiction book that reads like a novel.
schnoebs13's review against another edition
2.0
Let me state that I did not finish this book. I read the first of the three parts (so about 100 pages) but after talking with classmates I know my concerns with the book didn’t get resolved in the end.
This was a requirement for class and man am I disappointed in it. Im working on my masters in the hopes of going into water supply planning and I thought this would help my classmates understand this field. All lies. This book just focuses on problems, provides inaccurate information on the industry and doesn’t look at any solutions on how to address the issues. It also doesn’t really acknowledge how the EPA is told to enforce a lot of regulations without any funding or man power.
The only reason I’m giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is because by providing so many examples of water contamination in America it shows how the US government and society ignores these pressing concerns that are a requirement for survival.
This was a requirement for class and man am I disappointed in it. Im working on my masters in the hopes of going into water supply planning and I thought this would help my classmates understand this field. All lies. This book just focuses on problems, provides inaccurate information on the industry and doesn’t look at any solutions on how to address the issues. It also doesn’t really acknowledge how the EPA is told to enforce a lot of regulations without any funding or man power.
The only reason I’m giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is because by providing so many examples of water contamination in America it shows how the US government and society ignores these pressing concerns that are a requirement for survival.
mastercabs's review against another edition
4.0
I only gave this book four stars because I think it's important. The nuts and bolts of the book are not enjoyable in the least. However, simply because it's unpleasant to look at the train that is barreling down on you, does not mean that looking away will make it go away. The case for water's plight is strong in this book - so strong, in fact, that when Prud'homme is offering solutions near the end, that you just cease to believe him.
He spends so much time (and documentation - the book is about half footnotes) compiling evidence for how we've mistreated our most valuable and common resource that by the end, the reader very much knows that in order for anything to change, our attitudes have to come first. Unfortunately, by the end, the reader also has seen how likely that is before disaster.
Still, the ideas that he spreads about soft engineering are certainly worth looking knowing about. Perhaps I am being cynical to say that I don't believe that such change will happen before more horrific disasters, but this book could be a start in the direction away from that.
He spends so much time (and documentation - the book is about half footnotes) compiling evidence for how we've mistreated our most valuable and common resource that by the end, the reader very much knows that in order for anything to change, our attitudes have to come first. Unfortunately, by the end, the reader also has seen how likely that is before disaster.
Still, the ideas that he spreads about soft engineering are certainly worth looking knowing about. Perhaps I am being cynical to say that I don't believe that such change will happen before more horrific disasters, but this book could be a start in the direction away from that.
msgtdameron's review against another edition
5.0
Two big take aways. One: the U.S. must start to charge for water at the actual rate that the water costs to get from source, to tap, to sewage treatment, to next user. Yes unless you are the first person to use water from a spring it most likely has been used before and has gone through a sewage treatment plant. Now this cost must apply after infrastructure has been replaced. The cost of replacement infrastructure should be born by the state. What ever that state is. In the case of a city the city should sell bonds or get federal loans to replace current water intake, purification, distribution, and sewage treatment. Old water infrastructure is the second take away. Infrastructure has to be replaced nation wide. The U.S. is loosing a trillion gallons a day to leaks. This much lose is just NOT sustainable.
On cost, according to the book most people use 13 to 16 gallons per day. Double that and give each person in a household 25 gallons per day at the current rate for your municipality. After that the rate should be triple per gallon. Case in point, in 2010 the year of publication water in the LA basin cost $37.00. Here in Abilene TX it cost me $67.00 and today cost's me $87.00. My water source, Ft Phantom Hill Lake, is 15 minutes from my house. The source for the LA Basin is either Lake Meade or Northern Cal water shed. It actually costs much more to move water from either source to LA. than people in LA pay. Actual cost after twice the minimum for life must happen. By doing so people will conserve and save this precious resource.
On infrastructure. Leaks are killing us. Although no nation wide leak lose is given; I believe, from the information provided, that a trillion Gal/day is a reasonable number. That's 365 triilion gal a year of fresh potable water. Saving this much water by replacing our water infrastructure is just common sense, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than building dams. Water engineers need to embrace conservation and green technologies as part of the solution for our nations future water problems and needs.
Overall a must read for those concerned with our kids future and their ability to get a drink of cool crisp water.
On cost, according to the book most people use 13 to 16 gallons per day. Double that and give each person in a household 25 gallons per day at the current rate for your municipality. After that the rate should be triple per gallon. Case in point, in 2010 the year of publication water in the LA basin cost $37.00. Here in Abilene TX it cost me $67.00 and today cost's me $87.00. My water source, Ft Phantom Hill Lake, is 15 minutes from my house. The source for the LA Basin is either Lake Meade or Northern Cal water shed. It actually costs much more to move water from either source to LA. than people in LA pay. Actual cost after twice the minimum for life must happen. By doing so people will conserve and save this precious resource.
On infrastructure. Leaks are killing us. Although no nation wide leak lose is given; I believe, from the information provided, that a trillion Gal/day is a reasonable number. That's 365 triilion gal a year of fresh potable water. Saving this much water by replacing our water infrastructure is just common sense, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly than building dams. Water engineers need to embrace conservation and green technologies as part of the solution for our nations future water problems and needs.
Overall a must read for those concerned with our kids future and their ability to get a drink of cool crisp water.
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