During the summer months we often focus too much on conserving water, when in reality the underlying facts about water pollution are that we need to consider more about protecting water from pollution.

Here are a few quick ways to ensure that this coming summer, you have quality water rather than just quantity;

Individually, you can do small things to help. For example you may not realize that over-watering your lawn can wash dirt and heavy fertilizers into storm drains, where they join up with the main water supply. Water in small amounts throughout the day so that the ice water you drink after your yard work doesn’t taste like the fertilizer you just applied

 Sources of water pollution are everywhere. You might not think that dead leaves from your yard could pollute water, because a leaf is biodegradable plant matter. But something as simple as a layer of leaves blocking light can make water grow murky with algae and kill off the fish living there, for example. So, bag your leaves or better yet, go green by turning them into compost for your garden.

Be aware that all drains lead to the ocean, in a manner of speaking. Think twice before you pour chemicals in your sink such as paint or cleaning supplies. Instead, think about how to stop water pollution and dispose of them in an alternative manner, as dictated by the instructions on their bottles

water-pollution-2One of the facts about water pollution that will surprise you is just what can get into your water supply. If you have decided to start a compost pile, try dumping your potato peelings there instead of into the garbage disposal.

Things that you would normally put in the disposal are usually compatible with composting, and putting them there gives your city water filter one less job to do (and potentially mess up on)

Limit your dumping. Try to avoid the junk yard.  Inevitably, we must do something as a community. The facts about water pollution are simple—no one person can stop it. As a community, as a state, and as a nation, we must all do certain things to ensure that our children have a future that includes clean water and all that this entails.

We need to make sure that our nuclear waste dumps are more strictly regulated, that no one is allowed to dump any amount of toxic waste into a stream (even if it is below the current regulation limit) and step up conservation laws to include every type of known toxin, rather than accommodating lucrative businesses at a terrible cost.

Water pollution in China has reached epic proportions because of these exact practices—and we are being shown, over and over again, that when it comes to the environment, cutting corners doesn’t pay.

We can’t allow regulation to continue as it is now. Few people realize how many tons of toxic waste are allowed as a safe dumping amount before the company in question will have violated a government regulation. It’s time to find out what’s going on and take steps on every level to limit and reverse water pollution.