Clean, potable water is a limited commodity. Knowing this, if you live in an area where you have easy access to drinkable and usable water, you should do everything in your power to ensure that nothing happens to this water source, as it could severely impact your life if the water coming out of your tap wasn’t safe to use anymore.
To help you see who you can play a bigger role in protecting this precious resource, here are three ways you can protect the water sources in your area.
Be Smart When Disposing Of Certain Materials
One of the best ways to protect the water sources in your area is to be smart about how you dispose of certain materials that you might not normally think twice about.
According to the EPA, things like motor oil, paint and paint cans, pesticides, and many medicines need to be disposed of in a different way than just poured out onto the ground or down a drain. In your community, there should be resources available to help you dispose of these materials safely. Usually, there are certain times when hazardous materials will be collected, so it’s best to hold onto these items until you can give them to the proper organizations who will ensure that they get taken care of in a way that protects people and the environment.
Use Non-Toxic Cleaners
In recent years, many people have started using non-toxic cleaners within your home. Not only does this have immediate health benefits for you and those within your house, especially if you have allergies or breathing problems, but using non-toxic cleaners can help protect the water sources in your area, too.
All cleaners eventually get washed down the drain or tracked outside. So to keep toxic chemicals from entering your water source, CleanWaterAction.org shares that it’s best to just use non-toxic alternatives whenever you can.
Take Care With What You Let Rest Outside Your Home
While you might have the best of intentions when caring for your home and property, if you’re not careful, you could wind up adding to the potential problems with your local water sources.
According to the Safe Drinking Water Foundation, one thing that can be very harmful to the environment is washing your car at home. Unless you’re using safe cleaning agents or are very careful about collecting the water and soap you’re using, you could be contaminating the environment. So rather than washing your car yourself, you should try to find a commercial car wash that is set up to not have their water run into storm sewers.
If you’re worried about the water sources in your area, consider using the tips mentioned above to learn what you can do to better protect them.