How You Can Help Keep Water Clean

Water is essential to life on earth, and that does not solely mean human beings. This earth is all of ours to share, and keeping the water on it clean is everyone's responsibility. August is National Water Quality Month, so there is no better time to learn how you can contribute to a cleaner future for our water!  

Be mindful of outdoor surfaces. 

When a summer storm ends, the runoff heads towards the storm drains to be treated and recycled. On it's path, the water picks up all types of pollutants from hard surfaces like asphalt and concrete. If possible, you might want to switch your outdoor surfaces to paving stone or gravel.

Keep non-degradable products out of the toilet. 

Not only is it bad for your plumbing, but throwing things like wipes and tampon applicators down the toilet can really disrupt the sewage process. These items often wind up littering the environment or worse- they wind up hurting animals. 

Keep certain things out of your sink drain. 

Certain household cleaners don't belong in your sink. Chemical based cleaners might contain sodium hypochlorite, ammonia and formaldehyde. And in case you were wondering, you don't want any of those chemicals anywhere near your water.

Clean up after pets.

Not only is it courteous, but cleaning up after pets can also help maintain a cleaner water supply. Fecal matter and water simply don't mix, but far too often this winds up being the case. When it rains, your pets waste is washed from the street or the grass into storm drains. That very same water is then dumped into a water treatment plant to be recycled. Gross! 

Upgrade your plumbing. 

Old pipes are susceptible to rust and corrosion that can contaminate your water. Galvanized steel piping was the standard in many old homes, but you should consider upgrading to the much safer PVC piping. 

Improving the water quality on earth is going to take quite some time, but you have to start somewhere. If every person does their part, we can have safe drinking water for centuries to come. 

If you are interested in upgrading your plumbing to ensure cleaner water for your family, call the experts at Nassau County Plumbing and Sewer Rooter. We can handle repairs, installations and just about anything else you throw at us. To schedule an appointment call 516-874-7937 or visit our website! 

National Water Quality Month: How to Make Sure Your Water is Safe to Drink

August is National Water Quality Month! Let’s take this time to appreciate and understand what it means to have quality drinking water. Here are a few ways you can make sure the water you are drinking is safe:

Stay informed.
The first thing you can do is educate yourself on the water quality in your area. For example, find some information about your state’s Source Water Assessment to learn more about potential water quality threats. We also recommend that you read the annual Consumer Confidence Report from your public water system (aka Water Quality Report). This way, you can compare the water quality in your region to other areas to determine how safe it is to drink.

Be an observer.
Next, you will want to check the watershed where you live. Do you notice any suspicious activity happening in or around the water supply that may pollute your drinking water? If so, you should notify authorities about these incidents.

Get involved.
From reading the local newspaper to attending public hearings, getting involved is one way to find out if any new construction or town planning will affect your water source. Don’t forget to ask questions if you’re not sure how these plans might impact the quality of your water. It also helps to volunteer by partaking in your community’s contaminant monitoring activities. This way, you can encourage the town to run some tests on your drinking water supply.

Don’t contaminate.
One of the best things you can do to make sure your water is safe to drink is to make sure you don’t contaminate. You can keep your drinking water clean by reducing trash and taking the bus to work once per week. In order to reduce the trash you create, we recommend you recycle plastic bottles, aluminum, and glass. And if you can, take a break from driving just one day each week. That way, you can prevent large amounts of carbon dioxide from contaminating your drinking water.

Looking for more tips on how to make sure your water is safe to drink? Click here!

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