Feel disgusted whenever you find rubbish, cigarette butts or car fuel sprawling on the ground? Wait till you find out that these junks will seep into our water system sooner or later and come to our homes.
Hard to believe? Well, check this out. Whilst most inhouse water goes into the sewage system and then channeled into treatment facilities where much of the micro pollutants are removed, water outside the house goes into storm sewers (like drains) and flow straight into rivers, lakes or streams and it would be recycled for our usage.
Since cleanliness of the water system is crucial, here are some important steps which you should take heed:
- Prohibit the use of pesticides
Although pesticides will help you to keep your plants looking beautiful from being eaten away by pests, the same harmful chemicals that killed them will be washed into the storm sewers. In the same process, these chemicals also kill indigenous plants which are supposed to neutralize the water source.
- Pick up the poop
Unless you have trained your furry friend to poop in your toilet, most likely it will do its business in your garden or somewhere else in your neighborhood. Wherever it is, you must pick up your pet\’s waste, as it is a raw pollution on our natural waters. Unconvinced? Then on the harsher side, it\’s your pet and therefore it\’s your responsibility to pick up its mess.
- Responsible disposal
Same like pesticides, household products like paint and solvents are just as hazardous. Even if you dispose them into your household system, the treatment facilities may not be able to remove the pollutants completely and the water from here will be recycled back into your house. In order to dispose these products properly, use hazardous waste disposal depots or find out from your local centers about the appropriate method.
- Don\’t throw rubbish rampantly
Cigarette butts, food waste or dead leaves are just as toxic when they run into the water system. So, throw them to the proper trash bin. Even though you might not be behaving like this, when you see anyone doing this, gently remind them about the dangerous consequences.
Additional reading:
www.ehow.com
http://earth911.com
