Did you know that you can protect water quality just by limiting your water use? Water conservation puts less stress on our drinking water supplies and diverts less water for municipal use – this helps preserve stream flow and maintain healthy aquatic environments. Efficient outdoor water use also reduces the amount of pollutants reaching groundwater supplies and running off into storm drains.
Viewer Tip: August is National Water Quality Month. Give these tips a try to save water at home and protect water quality:
- Don’t over-water your lawn. Over-watering can increase the flow of fertilizers deep into soils and eventually groundwater
supplies, which are an important drinking water source. Walk on your lawn to find out if it is thirsty – if your footprints remain, it is time to water.
For more weather and environment tips, visit Earth Gauge!
(Sources: EPA, “Nutrient Pollution.” Image courtesy of Southwest Florida Water Management District.)
