Water Quality Month: Do You Know How to Protect Your Water?
If there is one thing that Water Quality Month reminds us every August, it is that we MUST take care of our water, conserve our water and do everything we can to protect our water. Drinking water contamination is not always in our control and there are many reasons why the quality of our drinking water is contaminated. But, how we handle the situation matters.
The question now is, are you doing enough to protect your home’s tap water? Is there more you could be doing? If you do not currently have a home drinking water system, the answer is yes, there is more you can do!
What is National Water Quality Month all about?
National Water Quality Month aims at raising awareness of the importance of our fresh water and how important having clean, safe water is to our health, agricultural needs and a better environment. We should take time to consider all of this, our own drinking water needs, and the needs of other ecosystems that rely on water as much as humans do – clean water, that is.
Common Causes of Water Contamination
There are thousands of factors that can have a negative impact on the quality of local water sources. If you read our blogs or follow us on social media, you have probably seen many of the sources of water contamination.
Germs and chemicals can get in drinking water at the water’s source or in the distribution system after the water has already been treated. Common contamination sources include:
- Industrial pollution and manufacturing operations
- Agricultural runoff
- Chemicals
- Pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals applied to land near water sources
- Sewer overflows
- Stormwater
- Wildlife
- Minerals in rocks and soil
- Old, cracked pipes or other problems in the water distribution system
- Ineffective and aging water treatment infrastructure
How to Protect Your Home’s Drinking Water From Contaminants
There is a limited amount of sources where we can get our water from, so finding ways to protect our tap water is vital. Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and the local water utility companies all play a part in making sure that the water that comes from our taps is always safe for use, we also need to protect our own home. You can achieve this with a home drinking water system like reverse osmosis.
Reverse osmosis systems offer in-home protection and improvements through a technology that removes a very large majority of drinking water contaminants by pushing your water under pressure through a semipermeable membrane. Up to 98% of total dissolved solids, including harmful chemicals, are removed.
How should we celebrate Water Quality Month?
There is still time to participate in National Water Quality Month and make more efforts to keep our waters clean! Simply start with being more mindful of the possible effects that your daily activities could have on the environment. Learn more about where your water comes from. Try to include some of these activities, too:
- Organize stream cleanups
- Plant trees to prevent erosion
- Monitor your local water quality
- Adopt a watershed
- Start a monthly beach cleaning club
- Conserve water when you can more often
- Invest in a home drinking water system to improve the quality of the tap water your household consumes
We are here to help you with any of your home water treatment needs. Just give us a call today!
