[.ca] Cottage Water Systems: An Out-of-the-City Guide to ... (ISBN 096969220X)

As valuable as a "Time Life" book on how to drive a nail.:
This book is a glossy generalists dream. If you don't know what a well is, buy this book. If you don't know what a septic tank is, buy this book. If you can't tell the difference between a submrsible pump or a jet pump, buy this book. If you want to design or install your own hideaway water system, forget it. The author makes to frequent use of "consult your owners manual", "local authorities" or "hire someone" to have any real value. This book would benefit the rural homeowner who has never owned a well, septic, etc. and needs to talk with a repair service. It would be unadvisable to attempt installation or repair of any system with knowledge gained from just this book.

Wonderful source of information for anyone with a well:
I am a Health Inspector in New Brunswick and many houses in rural areas require well and septic disposal fields. I found this book well written and informative. A must-read for new home owners who are dealing with wells and on-site sewage disposal fields for the first time.

Cottage Water Systems - A Bible for Cabin and Cottage Owners:
If you are going to buy one, and only one book about maintaining a cottage water and sewer system, this is it. The definitive bible on how to keep everything working. Supplemented with excellent illustrations and drawings, Cottage Water Systems is indispensable. About the only criticism we have is that there could be a few more options for pump hook-ups and that some of the addresses are out of date. But all-in-all, this is a truly outstanding book worth the money.

Beautifully illustrated, easy to read, humorous, educational:
I posted this review on an internet forum discussing rural retreats... "Cottage Water Systems: An Out-Of-The-City Guide to Pumps,Plumbing, Water Purification, and Privies" by Max Burns. ISBN 0-9696922-0-x. 1993. $24.96 Retail, I paid $19.96 at Amazon. 150 pages. 4 color, large size paper back book. This book is like a "Time-Life" series... it has many colorful and well-drawn illustrations about water systems. Maybe that's why the publisher's name is "Cottage Life Books." This is a very informative and easy to read book... particularly given the unusually narrow focus of this book. If you are about to build a cottage out in the woods (maybe for Y2K)... then this is the very first book you should read to understand how to obtain a water supply and how to handle the sewage/septic systems. The explanations could not be clearer. The author even shows you several beautiful designs for outhouses. He also discusses and illustrates such alternative toilets as: electric, self-contained composting toilets. His clear diagrams show how leaching systems work. Same with pumping water in from lakes or up from wells. This is an EXCELLENT book... and if you are interested in the subject matter, I would rate it a MUST READ. The author is Canadian, I believe... and he refers to the bathrooms as "loos". I would imagine they would say... "Hey Joe... Let's pull over so I can hit the loo." Here's a sample discussing water quality: "...The nutrients of primary concern to cottagers are phosphorus, because of its effect on aquatic life in our waterways, and nitrogen, because of its potential health effect on humans. They also tend to travel together. Most fresh-water ecosystems, like lakes, are phosphorus limited in their natural state, meaning that phosphorus is in relatively short supply in that system. So aquatic plant life is also limited. But as phosphorus is introduced into the water - the process being greatly accelerated by faulty septic and municipal sewages sytesm, continued use of phosphate-based soaps... (and he goes on to discuss blue-green algae)... Other than affecting taste, phosphorus doesn't directly degrade the quality of water for drinking purposes. Nitrogen, however , is another matter. High levels of nitrates have been linked to methaemoglobinemia, a disease causing oxygen deficiencies in blood... (and he continues on about the negative side of nitrogen)..." OK, this was just a short passage on the nutrients and contamination of water supplies that would affect a cottager. He spends most of his time discussing the practical/how to side of getting your water supply ready. But without the ability to show the beautiful illustrations, you would not appreciate the clarity of his explanations. Again, I think it is a great read, and good luck on your cottage water system. John www.dunbarco.com

Excellent material on water and septic systems:
This book should be a MUST addition to anyone's library who deals with a well and septic system. The reference material is well documented and the color diagrams make the book easy to understand. Although written for a Canadian cottage, the principles are the same for cabins/cottages anywhere...