Did you know that August is National Water Quality Month? Take a moment to imagine what your everyday life would be like without safe water to drink and use. How would you cook? What would you drink? Where would you bathe? Would you still enjoy recreation activities like boating or swimming?
Life as we know it now would be vastly different without an adequate supply of safe, usable water. And, helping people understand just that is the primary purpose behind Water Quality Month.
What Is National Water Quality Month?
In 1972, the federal government passed the Clean Water Act. Its purpose was to regulate dumping of toxic chemicals and help reduce water pollution. Two years later, the Safe Drinking Water Act was born in an effort to further protect our freshwater resources.
Then, in 2005, National Water Quality Month was established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Its purpose is to help raise awareness about what people can do to improve current water quality and protect it for future generations.
Why Is Preserving Water Quality So Important?
Many of us living here in the United States are fortunate enough to have never had an issue with drinking water safety in our own communities. Just look at the news, though, and you’ll see stories about water pollution around the world and even here in the U.S.
While it’s true that the majority of the earth’s surface is covered by water, that doesn’t mean it’s all available for our use. Nor does it mean that the freshwater we have is automatically safe to drink.
Water pollution still happens and it comes from four primary sources:
- Improper dumping of industrial effluents
- Fertilizer runoff from agricultural operations
- Leakage of untreated or undertreated waste
- Pesticides and other household chemicals
In order to continue to have safe water for our own use, and preserve water quality for future generations, more work must be done to prevent water pollution.
How Can You Celebrate National Water Quality Month?
It doesn’t matter where you live in the United States, or even elsewhere around the world. Every community can benefit from people who want to preserve today’s water quality for tomorrow’s generations.
Here are just a few ideas of how you, your friends, family, and neighbors can make a difference in your community:
- Keep the right mindset – Always remember that what you do matters and can have a positive or negative impact on the environment around you!
- Know where your water comes from – When you’re more aware of your water’s origin, it’s easier to create and follow efforts to keep it clean.
- Wash your car responsibly – Instead of washing your car at home, take it to the local car wash. Here, the runoff will be routed into a municipal sewer system. Then, the wastewater will be treated before it is re-used.
- Dispose of chemicals and medications properly – Used oil or antifreeze can be recycled. Other chemicals, products, and medications should be disposed of according to local regulations. That way, they don’t make their way into freshwater supplies.
How to Protect the Water In Your Santa Cruz Home or Business
Unfortunately, even with the best of intentions and strict water protection regulations in place, many water quality issues still arise in the U.S. every year. It’s also very difficult to control every factor that could negatively impact drinking water safety or overall water quality. Just take a look at your local community’s water quality report and you may be surprised at what it contains. That’s why it’s important to be proactive at home or at work with your own water treatment system.
At Conner Water Systems, we’ve been providing top quality water treatment products and services to the people of Santa Cruz and surrounding communities for over 60 years. From portable exchange tanks and water softeners to whole house filtration, drinking water systems, and more, we have exactly what you need to get the quality water you deserve.
So, let’s use Water Quality Month as a time to revisit our water protection efforts. And, we can raise awareness about water quality issues facing the world today. But don’t put off getting quality water for your home or business another day. Contact us now and let’s work together to find YOUR ultimate water treatment solution!
