How to Stem the Flow of Water Pollution

David Pimentel, Cornell professor of ecology and agricultural sciences, estimates that 40 percent of deaths worldwide are caused by pollution, water pollution being one of the largest contributers. The environment is also suffering from the pollution we are dumping into our water. The Gulf of Mexico alone has a 3,000 to 8,000 square mile dead zone. At the mouth of the Mississippi, chemicals from all over the country accumulate and feed algae, which choke out all natural forms of life. If we hope to stem the flow of water pollution, we must change some bad habits.

Things You'll Need

• A household hazardous waste collection system
• A household water saving strategy
• Organic lawn care products
• A source of local organic fruits and vegetables

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Instructions

• 1

  Dispose of hazardous waste properly. Never dump antifreeze, herbicides and pesticides, lawn-care products, paint, varnish and petroleum products of all kinds into drains, storm drains or trash. All these improper disposal methods contribute to water pollution. Visit Earth911.com for information on recycling and hazardous waste disposal in your community.

• 2

  Minimize water use. Wasting water taxes wastewater treatment facilities, increasing the chances of untreated or undertreated water flowing into waterways. Make your house, lawn and garden as water efficient as possible.

• 3

  Minimize--or stop all together--your use of synthetic lawn and garden chemicals. Runoff from fertilized lawns harms the ecosystem more than it helps your lawn. Use organic lawn products, and use as little as possible.

• 4

  Keep water from running off your property. Any pollution on your lawn or driveway will run with the water into the local storm drain system. Channel rain gutters into basins around your plants or into water-harvesting barrels. Wash your car on your lawn. Sweep your sidewalk and driveway rather than hosing it down.

• 5

  Minimize your consumption of factory-farmed food. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 48% of stream and river pollution, and for 41% of lake pollution is caused by agriculture. Meat from animals raised in concentrated feeding operations is particularly polluting. Minimize your consumption of meat, and get your vegetables from local organic sources to help reduce agricultural pollution.

• 6

  Become a volunteer monitor. Volunteer monitors watch local waterways and report pollution or problematic changes to the appropriate authorities. Volunteer monitors also give early warning to their neighbors during town hall meeting and other community gatherings.