If you want to be a global citizen who contributes towards maintaining a greener environment and want to prevent water pollution.
there are many things you can do to help.
What can be done to prevent water pollution?
Yes, you, as a common and ordinary citizen have the power to prevent a whole river, lake or sea from contamination. You can protect whole reservoirs of groundwater and drinking water. And guess what, you don’t have to move mountains to achieve this.
A few simple guidelines followed daily in our routine chores can lead to a significant difference. It can ensure that the next generation has access to clean water resources. Here’s what you can do:
While cooking, we often pour fats or oils down the sink. This oil makes its way back to the environment and into our food chain. Surprisingly, this type of oil pollution (which catches us unaware) contributes to about 70% of water pollution. Imagine the impact when citizens around the world stop this simple activity.
The best way to discard oils or grease like substances of the kitchen is to collect them in a jar and dispose them off with solids.
When we wash our floorings and surfaces with chemical based cleaning agents, we generally wash them away down the sink. From the sink, it conveniently leaves our homes but where does it go? It joins back the water bodies (maybe treated, maybe untreated). It is THIS water which we then consume. Hence, make it a point that you do DO NOT dispose of household chemicals or cleaning agents down the sink or toilet. Collect it, find the nearest collection center of chemical disposal and shoot!
By no, it is quite evident that whatever you throw down the sink, eventually joins back the water bodies. So when you consume pills, liquids or any other sort of medication, DO NOT flush it down the toilet or sink. These medications (when everyone disposes them) can alter the composition of water and leave its effects for people who do not need it. Either discard them with solid wastes or consult your doctor on the best possible way to dispose them off.
Understand the difference between a toilet and a dustbin/ wastebasket. Many a times, we dispose off our tissues, wrappers, dust cloths, and other goods right in our toilets. However, the toilet is only meant to carry human faeces because they are bio degradable and break down and cleanse themselves easily. Other substances we flush down are non biodegradable. They can survive in a water body for as long as 400 years.
Imagine the stretch of years for which a single plastic can keep polluting the waters.
Whenever you discard garbage, make it a point that you store solids and liquids separately. Also ensure that you store bio degradable and non biodegradable substances separately. This is because their methods of disposal are different. While there is no harm in disposing biodegradable substances straight into the environment (in the form of compost or fertilizer), the latter are a matter of concern. They are downright pollutants. Make a compost pile from vegetable scraps.
Facts
In America 40% of rivers and 46% of the lakes are polluted and unsuitable for swimming, fishing or any other activity.
Read more facts : Water pollution in USA
Reduce the amount of water you use while flushing. This can be done easily by installing a water efficient toilet. If you don’t have one or it isn’t feasible for you, you can add a brick or half a gal container toilet tank to reduce the amount of wastewater generated from a normal flush.
In urban cities, we are accustomed to using dishwashers and washing machines. These resources bring us a lot of convenience but guess what, they can be used judiciously too. A judicial usage would mean lesser amount of wastewater generated and less electricity bills. This can be achieved by running the dishwasher or washing machine only when you have a full load.
While washing clothes, do not overuse detergents and bleach. Remember that excess of everything is bad – for your clothes as well as the environment. The lesser detergent you use, the less it will flow into your drinking water reservoirs. Besides, it is a wise idea to use only phosphate free soaps and detergents.
Do not use an excess of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. These are just chemicals masked as crop enhancers which seep into the soil and contaminate the groundwater which you end up drinking.
DO NOT dispose of any chemicals, motor oil, or other automotive fluids into your sanitary drainage systems or storm drainage systems. Both of them empty themselves and these chemicals at the river. As a result, the entire water cycle is disrupted.
If you have a sump pump or cellar drain, do not plug it with your sanitary sewer system. It is best to consult a specialist who can help you determine the best discharge point.
You can conserve water by turning off the tap when you do not need running water. A common example is turning off the tap while you brush your teeth or in between washing two dishes. This helps in two ways. Firstly, it prevents water shortages and secondly, it reduces the amount of contaminated water (also known as wastewater) that needs treatment.
Take action by being an active participant in water pollution prevention campaigns. Join an eco club, clean the beaches and shores. If there is none in your area, make monetary contributions or donations towards Non Government Organizations (NGO’s) or agencies which work towards the cause of water conservation. Besides this, you can actively sensitize your colleagues, family, neighbours and community on how to prevent water pollution and how they can ensure water conservation.
As they say, charity begins from home. We agree because if each one of us install water-efficient household appliances in our homes, we can save a lot of water from turning into wastewater and polluting our own resources. A classic example of this would be the appliances we use for our day to day ease, cleaning and sanitary purposes – dishwashers, washing machines, toilets, and shower heads. Let’s be honest, we NEVER spare a thought about water conservation while purchasing these. However, if this tiny factor is taken into account at the time of making the purchase, we can end up saving millions of liters of water which would otherwise have been contaminated. So the next time you want to install appliance which uses water, take a look at its water efficiency rating. It will even reflect in your water bills.
When you witness a crime, you immediately report it to the police. When you suffer from any ailment, you immediately report it to a doctor. So when you witness any activity which leads to pollution, why do you not report it to the concerned authority?
Your silence is your participation. It is an ethical crime. Whenever you witness someone polluting the environment, do not look away. Confront them, ask them to stop. If they don’t listen to you, don’t keep mum. Instead, contact the local water protection and conservation authority. ACT. Unless you take action, the polluters will keep polluting the environment which YOU live in. Take the initiative of promptly contacting the relevant local water conservation office when you notice any kind of pollutant or chemical being discharged or injected into water bodies.
When you witness a crime, you immediately report it to the police. When you suffer from any ailment, you immediately report it to a doctor. So when you witness any activity which leads to pollution, why do you not report it to the concerned authority?
Your silence is your participation. It is an ethical crime. Whenever you witness someone polluting the environment, do not look away. Confront them, ask them to stop. If they don’t listen to you, don’t keep mum. Instead, contact the local water protection and conservation authority. ACT. Unless you take action, the polluters will keep polluting the environment which YOU live in. Take the initiative of promptly contacting the relevant local water conservation office when you notice any kind of pollutant or chemical being discharged or injected into water bodies.
