Other Ways to Prevent Water Pollution

When you use reusable rather than disposable items (such as water bottles and grocery bags), not only do you prevent water pollution by generating less garbage that has a chance to wind up in the environment, you also lessen water pollution caused by plastic manufacture. A reusable item only needs to be made once and can be used many times but disposable items are only used once and so many more of them need to be made. Plastic manufacture is extremely harmful to the environment and is a large source of water pollution.

Storm drains are almost never filtered. When leaves or lawn clippings make their way onto the street they go directly into rivers, lakes, and other water sources. This is a problem because when organic matter decomposes it releases phosphorus into the water. Phosphorus in soil can be good for plants, but too much in water causes algae blooms. Lawn clippings can also have harmful chemicals on them from weed killer or even from car exhaust.

Weed killers and fertilizers on lawns typically make their way into our water sources either through stormwater runoff washing them into lakes and rivers or by infiltration into groundwater stores. When fertilizer washes into water bodies it contributes to algae blooms, which make it hard for fish and aquatic animals to find food and can even cause fish to die. Weed killers are incredibly harmful to fish and other aquatic life. They can also contaminate drinking water harming people and land animals.

If you are using weed killers or fertilizer on your lawn, make sure to use as little as possible to accomplish your goals. Consider whether it is truly necessary and whether you should decide not to use it at all.

When downspouts let out onto permeable surfaces such as lawns or gardens it allows more of the water to be absorbed into the ground rather than running onto the road and into storm drains. This is beneficial because it reduces the amount of water running on the road which can help prevent flooding but also because it helps replenish underwater aquafers and provides more water for plants growing in the area. This is even more useful when combined with having a well aerated lawn, as aeration allows more water to soak in.

Storm drains lead directly to local water sources, such as rivers or oceans. Adopt-a-Drain programs call on community members to take responsibility for a storm drain in their neighborhood. When a person adopts a drain they commit to clearing leaves, trash, and other debris from their drain's surface to keep them from washing into waterways or clogging the drains.

When medications are flushed down a toilet or drain, they enter the wastewater treatment system, which is supposed to remove all of the pollutants from our water. Unfortunately, many of these treatments systems are not designed to remove medications. Medicines flushed down the drain can contaminate lakes and streams, which hurts fish and other aquatic wildlife, and can even end up in our drinking water.

Dumping chemicals down the drain can damage your plumbing and let them leach into the groundwater.

If you are unsure of how to dispose of medications safely, check with a local hospital or police department or look for more information at this site https://www.fda.gov/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-drug-take-back-locations

Many cities also have a hazardous waste disposal option for chemicals and other hazardous waste. A google search about how to dispose of a specific item will typically give lots of information.

Many people may not realize that some of the things they are doing are harmful to the environment or understand why it's so important to protect our waterways. Sharing information with others is a great way to help protect the environment beyond what one person can easily do themselves.

A great way to share information with others is by educating young people. For example, you could go through the activity plans on this website with youth to help them understand the problems with stormwater runoff and ways to help prevent water pollution.