Many of us may be contributing to water pollution without even realizing it. Before you exclude yourself as part of the problem, check off which of the following situations might exist at your home.
- Leaking, overflowing, or outdated septic tank
- Vehicles that leak oil, antifreeze, transmission, or brake fluid
- Large paved or impervious surfaces that drain directly into streets or storm drains
- Bare, unplanted areas from which soil erodes when it rains
- Downspouts or drain pipes that empty water into the street or storm sewer system
- Yard clippings, fertilizer, or pesticide left on streets and sidewalks
- Using a hose to clean your driveway and walkways
- Over-watering of gardens or lawns
- pet or animal waste left in the street, on sidewalks, or on the ground
- Improper storage and disposal of pesticides, gasoline, oil, paint, etc.
- Using storm drains to dispose of yard waste or chemicals
- Lawns or gardens not fertilized deeply enough, or over fertilized
- Lack of landscaping that would allow water to infiltrate the soil
The good news is that everyone can help improve the condition of our water just by being aware of these things, and making small changes to prevent further pollution of our water.
Any community water system that serves more than 100,000 people is required to make its Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) available to customers on a publicly accessible website.
These reports will tell consumers what contaminants (if any) have been detected in their drinking water, how these detection levels compare to drinking water standards, and where the water comes from.
Contact your water supplier to get a copy of your report.
Many of us tend to take for granted clean drinking water for our home and gardens. But the way we design and tend to our landscapes, build and maintain our homes, and dispose of and treat our trash and other solid wastes impacts our water quality.
There’s a lot to know about ground water and drinking water quality where you live. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes it easy to find information on water quality.
For information:
- Visit the EPS’s website to learn about the water you drink.
- Call EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
- Order publications from EPA on various topics from source water protection to home well use.
During this National Water Quality month, take the opportunity to be informed about the water quality where you live.
Have you ever wondered where you could take items like batteries & computers to be recycled?
What about light bulbs?
Did you even know you could recycle paint thinner and carpet?
For locations in your city, go to Earth 911 and enter your zip code.
Doesn’t it feel good to be GREEN?
The year is half-over, but its not too late to remind you that each year you are eligible to receive a FREE copy of your consumer credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus. TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax will provide these to you at NO CHARGE.
Go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com to obtain your FREE reports. There is no credit card information required on this site to obtain your reports. (There are other sites out there that say they are free, but they will ask for credit card information before giving you access to your information.)
All sites will offer access to Credit Scores and there is usually a fee for that report. It may be worth the cost to keep an eye on your credit score, especially if you are planning on buying a home in the near future. Also if you are trying to repair credit problems, you can periodically check your score to determine how your score is improving over time.
You will have the opportunity to download your report from all three credit bureau reports at once, or you can download one (of your choice), and revisit the site at a later time to download another. Some credit professionals suggest downloading one every 4 months to keep an eye on changes throughout the year. Whichever method you choose, this is a valuable tool!
In some cases, if the system is unable to identify you online, you may be required to order your report via phone or mail. If this happens to you, simply follow the online instructions for obtaining the phone number, or the appropriate form to download and mail. You will receive your credit report in the mail usually within 2 weeks.
You can also download forms to correct errors, dispute incorrect information, and/or remove outdated information.
Hope you found this information useful!
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