Chemically Pure Water
Chemically pure water can be obtained only by distillation; it is undesirable, however, for drinking purposes because of its insipidity. Before such water is agreeable for drinking it must be aerated; this may be accomplished by agitation or by passing it through a porous substance containing air. One of Nature’s methods of aerating water is found in mountain streams where the water flows down over rocks. The same thing is accomplished by fountains and waterfalls. It is the mineral matter and the gases held in solution that give water its taste, and it is the difference in these minerals and gases that causes the individual to dislike the taste of water which he is not accustomed to drinking. But this is purely a matter of taste and has no value from a hygienic standpoint, for the most impure water, water that contains so-called pathogenic germs, may taste very good.
Turbid or muddy water is not necessarily impure from a hygienic standpoint when found in rivers, but when subsoil water becomes turbid it should be regarded with suspicion.