Water Pollution: Preventing Harm At Home

Water pollution is a serious issue that can be prevented in the home. There are many ways to reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff, which can carry pollution into nearby rivers and lakes. This can be done by adopting a storm drain, picking up pet waste, and supporting groups and policies that help protect clean water. In addition, rainwater harvesting systems can be used to collect rainwater and prevent flooding.

Collect rainwater in a rain barrel

Rainwater or melted snow runs through yards, sidewalks, roads, and construction sites, picking up chemicals, debris, and other unwanted contaminants along the way. Once it reaches groundwater, runoff can be filled with pollutants that harm the water supply. One way to prevent this is to collect rainwater in a rain barrel.

Rainwater harvesting systems divert rainwater from your rooftop into a rain barrel, where it is stored until it can be used. Rain barrels prevent water from flooding the soil beneath gutters, where the soil can eventually be washed away. This reduces the amount of runoff that carries pollution off the landscape and into nearby rivers and lakes.

A rain barrel can be a small and site-specific stormwater best management practice (BMP), capturing rainwater from part of a house's roof. BMPs are a wide variety of land-care practices and green infrastructure designed to prevent and/or treat polluted stormwater runoff.

You can also use a rain garden to capture rainwater. A rain garden is a small, shallow depression in the ground that is filled with plants and other materials that absorb and filter rainwater. This helps to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and improve water quality.

Adopt a storm drain

Adopting a storm drain is a great way to prevent water pollution in your home and local area. Stormwater runoff is a major cause of water pollution, as it can carry unwanted chemicals, debris and other contaminants into the water supply. Adopting a storm drain involves implementing practices and infrastructure to prevent and treat polluted stormwater runoff. This can be done on a small, site-specific scale, such as by installing a rainwater harvesting system that collects and stores rainwater from your roof. Alternatively, you could adopt a larger-scale approach by treating runoff from an entire block or neighbourhood, such as through the use of a treatment train.

Another way to prevent stormwater runoff is by reducing the amount of runoff that carries pollution off the landscape and into nearby rivers and lakes. This can be achieved by maintaining a healthy and robust tree canopy, especially in urban environments.

By adopting a storm drain and implementing these practices, you can help protect our water resources and ensure that everyone in your community has access to clean water. These solutions are often no-cost or low-cost and have the added benefit of making your neighbourhood cleaner and more attractive.

Pick up pet waste

Picking up pet waste is an important way to prevent water pollution. When it rains, water can run through yards, sidewalks, and roads, picking up chemicals, debris, and other contaminants along the way. This includes pet waste, which can carry harmful bacteria and parasites. By picking up pet waste and disposing of it properly, you can help prevent these pollutants from reaching our water supply and protect our water quality.

One way to effectively manage pet waste is to use a pooper scooper or a bag to pick it up and then dispose of it in a sealed bag in the trash. This ensures that the waste is contained and cannot be washed away by rainwater or melted snow. It is also important to clean up after your pet in public spaces, such as parks and sidewalks, to prevent the spread of pollutants to nearby water bodies.

Another way to prevent water pollution from pet waste is to compost it. Composting pet waste involves mixing it with other organic materials, such as leaves and grass clippings, to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment. However, it is important to note that not all pet waste is suitable for composting, as some parasites and bacteria can survive the composting process.

Additionally, you can consider using a pet waste digester, which is a small, enclosed system that uses bacteria to break down the waste and turn it into a liquid that can be safely disposed of. This method helps to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and prevents the spread of harmful bacteria.

By adopting these practices, you can help reduce water pollution and protect our environment. Picking up pet waste is a simple yet meaningful way to make a positive impact on the world around us and ensure that our water resources remain clean and safe.

Support groups and policies that protect clean water

There are many ways to support groups and policies that protect clean water. Firstly, you can adopt a storm drain and pick up your pet's waste. You can also support groups and policies that help protect clean water, such as the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, which has developed an educational booklet called the Good Neighbor Guide. This guide is designed to help residents in urban areas take action in their own yards and communities to ensure clean water for all.

Additionally, you can implement stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to prevent and treat polluted stormwater runoff. BMPs can be small and site-specific, such as a rain garden that captures rainwater from a house's roof, or larger in scope, such as a treatment train that treats runoff from an entire neighbourhood.

Another way to prevent water pollution is by eliminating runoff, which can carry unwanted chemicals and pollutants into the groundwater. You can do this by collecting rainwater in a rain barrel or installing a rainwater harvesting system that diverts rainwater from your rooftop into a storage barrel. This prevents water from flooding the soil beneath gutters, which can eventually be washed away.

Reduce runoff

Runoff is when rainwater or melted snow runs through yards, sidewalks, roads, construction sites, and anywhere else water can flow. As it flows, it picks up chemicals, debris, and other unwanted contaminants. Once it reaches groundwater, runoff can be filled with pollutants that harm the water supply.

To reduce runoff, you can install a rainwater harvesting system, which diverts rainwater from your rooftop into a rain barrel, where it is stored until it can be used. Rain barrels prevent water from flooding the soil beneath gutters, where the soil can eventually be washed away. You can also adopt Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), which are land-care practices and green infrastructure designed to prevent and/or treat polluted stormwater runoff. BMPs can be small and site-specific, such as a rain garden that captures rainwater from part of a house's roof, or they can be larger in scope, such as a treatment train that treats runoff from an entire block or neighbourhood.

Another way to reduce runoff is to ensure that your yard has a healthy and robust tree canopy, especially if you live in an urban environment. This will help to reduce the amount of runoff that carries pollution off the landscape and into nearby rivers and lakes.

Frequently asked questions