There are two types of water pollution: point source pollution and nonpoint source pollution. Point source pollution comes from a source that is easily identifiable such as a pipe, leaking tank, or an industrial site. Nonpoint source pollution is caused by runoff that contaminant ground water, lakes, and streams. Nonpoint source pollution originates from many sources such as farms, lawns, paved urban area, roadways, construction sites, landfills, home septic tanks, etc. These sources can contribute pesticides, fertilizers, metals, fecal matter, road salt, and other pollutants. (25) Nonpoint source pollution is responsible for 40% of the nation’s rivers, lakes, and estuaries are not clean enough to fish and swim in. Agriculture is the largest contributor to nonpoint source pollution. Urban runoff is responsible for poor water quality in estuaries. (26)
Tips to protect your water supply:
In your house
- Fix leaky faucets
- Turn the water off when you shave and brush your teeth
- Install low flow toilets, shower heads, and faucets
- Conserve!
Washing your car
- Use a bucket to wash the car instead of the hose to conserve water
- Use high pressure fittings to rinse your car quickly
- Use Eco-friendly soap
- Wash your car on gravel or on the lawn so that wastewater will not go into the drain
What you put down the drain
- Never put motor oil down the drain or down a storm drain
- Use Eco-friendly household chemicals
- Dispose of household chemicals properly
Lawn Care
- Conserve water when watering your lawn or garden
- Use native vegetation that does not need a lot of watering
- Test your soil to see exactly what your lawn needs
- More is not better
- Only apply fertilizer when it is necessary
- Do not leave fertilizer on sidewalks of driveways where it can leach into storm drains
- Be aware of the chemicals in pesticides and herbicides-Use them sparingly
(27)
