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ENVIRONMENT
5 Ways to Keep Our Drinking Water Clean
With the earth’s temperatures rising most towns on the East Coast are receiving more rain than usual. This year Hurricane Ida dropped up to ten inches of rain in towns and cities. If you happen to live near the ocean or a coastal river, flooding was exacerbated between sea level rise and storm surge. During flooding, pollutants from streets and yards are swept into stormwater runoff and enter our drinking water reservoirs. On the local level, it can sometimes seem like our individual choices are not grand enough to change the course of environmental degradation, but there is much room for property owners to contribute to flood mitigation and its subsequent dispersal of pollutants. By embracing new approaches to suburban landscaping and changing a few habits, homeowners not only help mitigate flooding, but also contribute to clean drinking water.
The Top Five
1. Rethink the lawn
Pollutants like weed killers and fertilizers are wreaking havoc on our waterways. We need look no further than the algal blooms each summer to see our drinking water compromised by these pollutants. Homeowners are responsible for pouring ten times more chemicals on their lawn per acre than farms. Your choices in lawn…
