diff --git a/Cantera/src/transport/LiquidTransport.cpp b/Cantera/src/transport/LiquidTransport.cpp
index bb19b56c1..e25a4da36 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/transport/LiquidTransport.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/transport/LiquidTransport.cpp
@@ -616,8 +616,8 @@ namespace Cantera {
 
   }
 
-  //! Compute the electric current density in A/m^2
-  /**
+  // Compute the electric current density in A/m^2
+  /*
    *  The electric current is computed first by computing the 
    *  species diffusive fluxes using  the Stefan Maxwell solution
    *  and then the current, \f$ \vec{i} \f$ by summing over 
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
     set_Grad_X(grad_X);
     set_Grad_V(grad_V);
 
-    doublereal *fluxes = new doublereal( m_nsp * m_nDim );
+    doublereal *fluxes = new doublereal(m_nsp * m_nDim);
 
     getSpeciesFluxesExt(ldf, fluxes);
 
diff --git a/Cantera/src/transport/LiquidTransport.h b/Cantera/src/transport/LiquidTransport.h
index 767629bcf..063c37d0b 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/transport/LiquidTransport.h
+++ b/Cantera/src/transport/LiquidTransport.h
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
 
      //! Compute the mixture electrical conductivity from 
      //! the Stefan-Maxwell equation.
-     /**
+     /*!
       *  To compute the mixture electrical conductance, the Stefan
       *  Maxwell equation is solved for zero species gradients and 
       *  for unit potential gradient, \f$ \nabla V \f$.  
@@ -355,10 +355,10 @@ namespace Cantera {
       *  \f]
       * 
       */
-     doublereal getElectricConduct( );
+    virtual doublereal getElectricConduct();
 
      //! Compute the electric current density in A/m^2
-     /**
+     /*!
       *  The electric current is computed first by computing the 
       *  species diffusive fluxes using  the Stefan Maxwell solution
       *  and then the current, \f$ \vec{i} \f$ by summing over 
@@ -378,14 +378,13 @@ namespace Cantera {
       * @param grad_V The electrostatic potential gradient.
       * @param current The electric current in A/m^2.
       */
-     void getElectricCurrent(int ndim, 
-			     const doublereal* grad_T, 
-			     int ldx, 
-			     const doublereal* grad_X, 
-			     int ldf, 
-			     const doublereal* grad_V, 
-			     doublereal* current) ;
-     
+    virtual void getElectricCurrent(int ndim, 
+				    const doublereal* grad_T, 
+				    int ldx, 
+				    const doublereal* grad_X, 
+				    int ldf, 
+				    const doublereal* grad_V, 
+				    doublereal* current);
 
 
     //! Get the species diffusive velocities wrt to 
diff --git a/Cantera/src/transport/TransportBase.h b/Cantera/src/transport/TransportBase.h
index fdf1a24f1..24ad9d137 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/transport/TransportBase.h
+++ b/Cantera/src/transport/TransportBase.h
@@ -368,26 +368,54 @@ namespace Cantera {
 
     //@}
     
-    //! Compute the mixture electrical conductivity 
-    doublereal getElectricConduct( );
-    
-    //! Compute the electric current 
+    //! Compute the mixture electrical conductivity (S m-1) at the current
+    //! conditions of the phase (Siemens m-1)
     /*!
-     * @param ndim The number of spatial dimensions (1, 2, or 3).
-     * @param grad_T The temperature gradient (ignored in this model).
-     * @param ldx  Leading dimension of the grad_X array.
-     * @param grad_X The gradient of the mole fraction
-     * @param ldf  Leading dimension of the grad_V and current vectors.
-     * @param grad_V The electrostatic potential gradient.
-     * @param current The electric current in A/m^2.
+     *   The electrical conductivity, \f$ \sigma \f$,  relates the electric
+     *   current density, J, to the electric field, E.
+     *
+     *     \f[ 
+     *            \vec{J} = \sigma \vec{E}
+     *     \f]
+     * 
+     *   We assume here that the mixture electrical conductivity is an
+     *   isotropic quantity, at this stage. Tensors may be included at a
+     *   later time. 
+     *
+     *   The conductivity is the reciprocal of the resistivity. 
+     *
+     *   The units are Siemens m-1,  where 1 S = 1 A / volt = 1 s^3 A^2 /kg /m^2
      */
-    void getElectricCurrent(int ndim, 
-			    const doublereal* grad_T, 
-			    int ldx, 
-			    const doublereal* grad_X, 
-			    int ldf, 
-			    const doublereal* grad_V, 
-			    doublereal* current) ;
+    virtual doublereal getElectricConductivity() 
+    {
+      err("getElectricConductivity"); return 0.0;
+    }
+
+    //! Compute the electric current density in A/m^2
+    /*!
+     *  Calculates the electric current density as a vector, given
+     *  the gradients of the field variables.
+     *
+     * @param ndim    The number of spatial dimensions (1, 2, or 3).
+     * @param grad_T  The temperature gradient (ignored in this model).
+     * @param ldx     Leading dimension of the grad_X array.
+     * @param grad_X  The gradient of the mole fraction
+     * @param ldf     Leading dimension of the grad_V and current vectors.
+     * @param grad_V  The electrostatic potential gradient.
+     * @param current The electric current in A/m^2. this is a vector
+     *                of length ndim
+     */
+    virtual void getElectricCurrent(int ndim, 
+				    const doublereal* grad_T, 
+				    int ldx, 
+				    const doublereal* grad_X, 
+				    int ldf, 
+				    const doublereal* grad_V, 
+				    doublereal* current)
+    {
+      err("getElectricCurrent"); 
+    }
+
     
     //! Get the species diffusive mass fluxes wrt to 
     //! the mass averaged velocity, 
diff --git a/Cantera/src/transport/WaterTransport.h b/Cantera/src/transport/WaterTransport.h
index b4ad85348..6dc61555d 100644
--- a/Cantera/src/transport/WaterTransport.h
+++ b/Cantera/src/transport/WaterTransport.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ using namespace std;
 #include "LiquidTransportParams.h"
 
 namespace Cantera {
-
+  //! @{
   const int LVISC_CONSTANT     = 0;
   const int LVISC_WILKES       = 1;
   const int LVISC_MIXTUREAVG   = 2;
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
   const int LDIFF_MIXDIFF_UNCORRECTED     = 0;
   const int LDIFF_MIXDIFF_FLUXCORRECTED  = 1;
   const int LDIFF_MULTICOMP_STEFANMAXWELL  = 2;
-
+  //! @}
 
 
   class TransportParams;