12 simple actions to help stem the tide of polluted runoff

8. 12 simple actions to help stem the tide of polluted runoff.

Much has been done in the past twenty-five years to clean up our waters, but there is much more still to do. Fertilizers choke the oxygen from our waters and pesticides endanger the health of people and wildlife. Sewage overflows and runoff from farms and city streets close thousands of miles of beaches each year and poison our food supply and drinking water. The good news is there are many things you can do to help put an end to poison runoff -- and clean up and conserve our waters.

IN YOUR HOME...

1. Wash with phosphate-free, low-phosphate, or biodegradable soaps, detergents, and shampoo. Phosphates stimulate the growth of algae, which can suffocate fish and other wildlife in lakes and waterways. If your local store does not carry phosphate-free products, ask them to do so.

2. Keep paints, used oil, solvents, and other household chemicals out of drains, sinks, and toilets. Ask your local government where household hazardous wastes can be disposed of safely. If a local collection service for household hazardous wastes is not available, ask for one.

3. Recycle and dispose of all trash properly. Never flush non-degradable products down the toilet. These products can damage the sewage treatment process and end up littering beaches and waters.

4. Use nontoxic household products where available, and ask your local stores to carry them where they are not. Read labels carefully before you buy.

5. Use efficient plumbing fixtures. A whopping 40 percent of the pure water you use in your home is flushed down the toilet. Toilet dams or just adding bricks to your toilet tank can save an average family four gallons of water per flush -- and up to 13,000 gallons per year! And low-flow toilets use a fraction of the water used by conventional toilets. Showers account for 32 percent of home water use. Install a low-flow shower head and you'll save water and money on your hot water bill.

6. Repair leaking and dripping faucets as soon as possible. A dripping faucet can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day; a leaking toilet up to 200 gallons per day.

IN YOUR YARD...

7. Test your soil to determine how much fertilizer is necessary for your yard, garden, or farm. Use lawn fertilizers sparingly, and only when needed. Avoid using toxic pesticides and herbicides on your lawn and garden -- these chemicals can pollute rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Use natural fertilizers, such as compost or manure. Ask your local hardware and garden stores to stock them.

8. Recycle used motor oil. A single quart of motor oil poured onto the ground can seep into groundwater and pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water. Do not pour oil or other chemicals down storm drains, where they often flush directly into your favorite river, lake, or bay. Many communities offer places to recycle used motor oil. If you don't have a place to recycle used motor oil in your community, ask your local government to create one.

9. Improve drainage around your home and in your yard, to keep runoff out of storm drains by filtering slowly into the soil. Avoid landscaping with hard surfaces, such as concrete. Instead, select vegetation, gravel, or other porous materials. Redirect rain gutters to your lawn…or to collection barrels for watering your garden.

10. Maintain septic systems properly. Monitoring and cleaning your system regularly protects your groundwater and surface water, and saves money by prolonging the life of the system. Help stem the tide of water pollution.

IN YOUR COMMUNITY...

11. Help identify, report and stop polluters. Join a local clean water or environmental group that monitors industries and sewage treatment plants that are discharging wastes into your waters. Local groups can be especially effective working together with environmental agencies to ensure that industries comply with regulations on waste discharges.

12. Be an activist. Contact your public officials and encourage them to support laws and programs to protect our water. Ask them to control polluted runoff, increase protection for wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems, reduce the flow of toxics into our waterways, and strengthen enforcement.

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Vilnius Drinking Water Web Site: http://www.vilnius.lt/vanduo/