A sanitary survey is an onsite inspection of a public water system by competent personnel who use a standard form, procedure, and method to survey the effectiveness and maintenance of the system and to determine its ability to provide continuously safe water to the consuming public. This text, developed as an aid to providing instruction on how to conduct a sanitary survey, covers basic questions (and their rationale and importance) that an inspector must ask to determine the adequacy of a water supply system. Major topic areas addressed include: (1) water regulations; (2) water sources (general, wells, springs, and surface sources); (3) pumps; (4) water treatment; (5) storage (gravity storage and hydropneumatic tanks); (6) water distribution (distribution systems and cross-connections); (7) monitoring and recordkeeping; (8) management and safety; (9) surveys; (10) communications and public relations; and (11) technical assistance. Because the text is based on what an inspector "needs to know," in-depth technical background of each component of a water system is provided. A listing of suggested references is provided should additional information be needed. (JN)