In the past, the expense and inconvenience of the available methods for measuring the general organic content of water using activated carbon adsorption and solvent extraction prevented many water treatment plant operators from measuring this important parameter in their finished water. The purpose of this investigation was to provide the waterworks industry with a convenient, reliable procedure for measuring organics in water by this technique. Field testing of the procedure has demonstrated that it meets the basic objectives originally set forth and should be attractive to water plant operators. Sampling various types of waters showed that this technique can determine extract concentrations within about a ten-fold range in organic content between clean water and surface water heavily influenced by upstream discharges of wastes. This paper describes in detail the variables investigated during the development of this method.