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Safe drinking water for the future begins at home now
Texas
Most Americans take clean, fresh water for granted. Every day the 280 million or so who live in this country drink more than 1 billion glasses of water, according to Janie Harris, Texas Cooperative Extension housing and environment specialist.
And that's not all--we also use millions more gallons washing clothes and cars and dishes, taking baths and showers, watering lawns and gardens, and mixing baby formula and powdered soft drinks and ice cubes.
We are fortunate in that most of our drinking water in this country is safe, she said.
In this state, "our public water supply is safeguarded by the Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Texas and local water systems," Harris said.
But that's not enough.
"Protecting our drinking water is everyone's responsibility," she said. "Individuals, businesses, agricultural enterprises, citizens organizations and local and state governmental agencies must work together to ensure that our water is safe to drink."
And that's where individual actions come in.
"Each person's household habits can affect our environment," Harris said. "Such practices as dumping motor oil down the storm drain after a do-it-yourself oil change or applying too much fertilizer to the yard can damage groundwater quality as well as stream and lake quality because of surface runoff contamination."
Even ordinary household chemicals are potential water polluters, Harris said, including:
--Pesticides used for weed control, insect sprays, mothballs, wood preservatives, flea and roach powder and empty pesticide containers;
--Household cleaners such as furniture polish, drain cleaners, and oven and toilet bowl cleaners;
--Automotive products such as antifreeze, motor oil and batteries;
--Paints and solvents such as turpentine, paint thinner, furniture stripper and oil-based paints; and
--Other chemicals such as medicines, fluorescent light bulbs, swimming pool chemicals and lab sets.
Harris said the keys to minimizing the impact of these products on the environment are making the best choice for your needs, using and storing the products safely, and properly disposing of the unused product and/or empty containers.
"When you are shopping," she said, "always read the instructions on the product labels. Check to see if the product contains ingredients that, when used improperly, can harm people or the environment."
If the label doesn't provide enough information, contact the manufacturer for a Material Safety Data Sheet or call a Poison Control Center at 800-764-7661 for more information, she said.
Look to the label for storage information about the product. In general, Harris said, keep hazardous products away from children and pets, and store products in their original containers in well-ventilated areas away from pilot lights and other flames. And keep them at least 150 feet from a well or waterway.
The label is also the first source of information on disposing of the excess product or its container, she said. Some products can be poured down a drain, some should not be because they might harm septic systems, and some might need to be taken to a sanitary landfill.
"Some products should be saved for a community collection day or delivered to a licensed hazardous waste contractor," Harris said.
But in any case, she warned, never burn or dump the products onto the ground.
"The best way to be assured of safe drinking water is to prevent it from becoming contaminated in the first place," Harris said. "Your actions in and around your home can affect the quality of water, both below the ground and in surface water."
For more information contact an Extension agent and ask for Extension publication E-103.
For more information on this and other environmental issues, visit Extension's Family and Consumer Sciences website at http://fcs.tamu.edu/ and click on the link to housing and environment.
Date: 8/24/04
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