Chapter 3
I Background
II Early European Settlements
III Assessment Of Available Water Resources
IV Water Supplies For Goldmining Development
V Irrigation Development
VI Farm And Stock Water Supplies
VII Urban Water Supplies
VIII Wastewater Management And Treatment
IX Water Quality Management
X Limnological And Water Quality Research
i Drinking water quality
ii Irrigation and Stock Waters
iii Descriptive phase research
iv System understanding phase
XI New Techniques In Water Resource Planning And Management
XII Legislation
XIII Conclusion
XIV List Of Abbreviations
XV Acknowledgements
XVI Plantations-high Productivity Resources
References
Index
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Drinking water quality
There has been little detailed research into the quality of drinking water in Australia, partly due to the use of closed catchments by many water authorities.Algae problems have existed in water supply and irrigation reservoirs for many years. Phytoplanktonic algae was reported in Yan Yean Reservoir in Victoria in 1908 and in a Sydney reservoir in 1913. Copper sulphate treatment of algae in Victorian reservoirs was reported as far back as 1938.
More recent research has highlighted some potentially serious quality problems in drinking water. In South Australia, the amoeba Naegleria has been identified. It can prove fatal if imbibed and can exist in pipelines as well as open waters. Viruses are also of concern, whilst increasing concentrations of nitrates in groundwater used for domestic supplies can cause serious health problems in infants and young children.
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Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering |  |
© 1988 Print Edition pages 184 - 185, Online Edition 2000
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/192.html