Chapter 6 Further Reading: Your Home's Water Supply

Books and Guides

1. "Plumbing" by Rex Cauldwell (Taunton Press) One of the most readable and comprehensive homeowner-level plumbing references available. Cauldwell writes for the educated amateur: thorough enough to actually understand systems, practical enough to be useful in the field. Strong on supply systems, pressure, and pipe materials. Photographs are clear and instructive. Recommended for any homeowner who wants to go deeper than this chapter covers.

2. "The Complete Guide to Plumbing" by Black & Decker A workbook-style reference with step-by-step illustrated instructions for common repairs and upgrades. Less explanatory than Cauldwell but excellent as a companion during actual DIY work. Particularly good on supply pipe transitions, valve replacement, and fixture installation. Available in updated editions covering PEX and modern fitting systems.

3. "The Home Water Supply" by Stu Campbell (Storey Publishing) Written specifically for rural homeowners and well users, this book covers private water supply from aquifer geology to pump selection to water treatment. Goes into considerably more depth on well construction, pump types, and troubleshooting than this chapter. Essential reading for new well owners.

Online Resources

4. Water Heater Rescue — waterheatersrescue.com An independently maintained website with an extensive manufacturer date-code decoder (tells you when any water heater was made from the serial number), detailed guides on anode rod inspection and replacement, and pressure tank troubleshooting. More practical detail than most manufacturer documentation. The section on identifying your water heater's age and anode rod location is particularly useful.

5. NSF International — nsf.org/certified-products NSF International is the independent certification body for water treatment equipment and pipe materials. Their product certification search lets you verify that any filter, pipe, or fitting you're considering meets the safety standards for your application. If you're buying a water filter, searching NSF 53 (health effects) and NSF 58 (reverse osmosis) certifications here is more reliable than relying on marketing claims.

6. U.S. Geological Survey Water Science School — usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school An excellent free resource explaining groundwater, aquifers, the water cycle, and well hydrology in terms accessible to non-scientists. Particularly useful for well owners who want to understand why their water table fluctuates seasonally and what it means for their well's long-term reliability.

7. EPA "Private Drinking Water Wells" — epa.gov/privatewells The EPA's resources for private well owners include state-by-state guidance on testing requirements, links to certified testing laboratories, and guidance on common contaminants (nitrates, arsenic, bacteria, volatile organic compounds). The state-by-state variation in well regulations means this site is useful for finding local resources beyond the federal guidance.

Practical References

8. Your Utility's Consumer Confidence Report Not a book — it's a document your utility is legally required to produce and make available annually. It contains the actual measured levels of all regulated contaminants in your water supply, treatment methods, and any violations. Search your utility's name plus "Consumer Confidence Report" or "Water Quality Report." This is the authoritative source for your water quality; everything else in this field is general guidance that may or may not apply to your specific supply.

9. "Pipe Dreams: Water and Empire in Central Asia's Aral Sea Basin" by Kambiz Fattahi Not a how-to book — a historical and policy analysis of water infrastructure at a large scale. Recommended not for its direct practical application but for the perspective it provides: understanding water as infrastructure, the consequences of deferred maintenance, and the relationship between access to water and quality of life. Homeowners who understand their water supply within a larger systems context tend to maintain it better.

10. Your State's Department of Health or Department of Environmental Quality Well Water Resources Every state with significant rural population has state-specific guidance on well construction standards, required testing, and contractor licensing. Search "[your state] well water homeowner guide" or "[your state] private well requirements." State-level guidance will be more specific to your geology and regulatory environment than any national resource.

Tools and Equipment References

11. "Home Plumbing Illustrated" (Family Handyman / Homeskilz) A visual reference for identifying plumbing components, reading your meter, locating shutoff valves, and diagnosing common problems. Useful as a visual companion to text-based resources — when you're trying to identify what a fitting is called or what a correctly installed PRV looks like, illustrated guides are faster than text descriptions.

12. WaterSense Program — epa.gov/watersense The EPA's voluntary labeling program for water-efficient products. If you're replacing fixtures, aerators, showerheads, or toilets, the WaterSense label indicates products that meet efficiency standards without sacrificing performance. The website includes a directory of certified products and calculators for estimating water and cost savings from efficiency upgrades. Relevant to Chapter 6 because fixture flow rates directly affect your pressure readings and water supply demand.