Excerpt from History of the Twenty-Sixth Engineers: Water Supply Regiment in the World War; September, 1917 March, 1919

The important part which water supply bears to the successful execution of military operations has long been realized. Never before the World War, however, has specific provision been made, in technical personnel and materiel, for the supplying of adequate quantities of potable water to armies in the field. This innovation was not the result alone of the arid conditions under which it was attempted to carry on certain campaigns such as those Of the British at Gallipoli and in Palestine and of the Italians in eastern Italy. An even more important reason was the inadequacy, and Often the pollution, of local supplies in the humid regions of north ern France, under the conditions of unusual troop concentration Which has characterized operations on the Western Front.

Existing wells and developed springs were so inadequate in certain early Operations on this front that the failure to attain success was directly ascribed to the lack of sufficient water for the troops and animals engaged. In other instances the use of polluted water resulted in sickness and lowering of morale among the troops. These experiences led to the organization, in'the various Allied armies, of specialized troops with technically experienced personnel for water-supply service. That the Germans also realized the importance of water supply was amply shown by the extensive pipe-line systems, with pumping plants and reservoirs, which were found immediately behind their lines in France. Printed maps Of various sectors were also found in captured dug outs, showing in detail a great variety of water - supply information within the German lines, for the use of troop commanders and officers Whose duty it was to provide developed water where needed.

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