Manual for simple water quality analysis

This manual aims to help in detecting water pollution, indicate the type of pollution involved, and determine the source(s) of the pollution. It is intended for use by people without any specific knowledge on water quality, although it can also be used by anyone with an environmental or water quality background. The manual is intended to cater for people and organizations in developing countries, although it can also be used elsewhere. Apart from some basic information on water and water pollution issues, the manual explains four different methods to assess water quality. These are the field survey, the biological survey, the health survey, and some basic methods of chemical and physical analysis. The methods are complementary and range in level of difficulty, accuracy and equipment required. The manual ends with a chapter including practical suggestions about activities to improve water quality at household and community, and at a higher level. It also indicates a number of social and juridical initiatives to counter and end water pollution problems.