Water is an essential ingredient for living things. Many evolutionists claim that life originated in an environment surrounded by water, essential nutrients, and salts. As life advanced and migrated away from its watery birthplace, special mechanisms were created to conserve water, notably skin, mucous membranes, and kidneys. Scientists seriously dispute the possibility of life on other planets based upon their inability to detect water in the environment around those planets. Thus the central focal point af water around which life revolves seems clear. As important as water is to life, it also can be a hazard. Water alone, pure and distilled, can support the replicaion of important pathogens such as Pseitdomonas and Flavobacteria to significant numbers, well over 10 million aer milliliter. 16 When such colonization of water sources xcurs, these sources become reservoirs from which the irganisms may be introduced into the surrounding environment. If that environment is the hospital, subsequent colonization of fomites or persons, transmission of [he organisms to susceptible hosts, and infections may well follow. Pseudomonas in water bubblers has been the source of important outbreaks in newborn nurseries. 2 Pseudomonas is present in large numbers on uncooked food and vegetables and, according to Remington and Schimpff, from there can colonize and ultimately lead to infection in cancer patients. 7 Flavobacteria have been isolated in large numbers from room humidifiers. In one study of the source of diffuse aching and fever in office workers, antibody to flavobacteria O antigen was signifi-From the