Celebrate National Water Quality Month

Did you know August is National Water Quality Month?

Whether your drinking from a water bottle, swimming, taking a shower or watering your plants, water plays a vital role in our lives.

The history of National Water Quality Month can be dated back to the early 1970s. The Clean Water Act, passed in 1972, made it illegal to dump high amounts of toxic materials into bodies of water. In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect public health, including regulating public water systems. From there, National Water Quality Month was founded in 2005 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to the EPA, approximately 150,000 public water systems provide drinking water to most Americans. The EPA has placed federal regulations on public water suppliers to monitor more than 90 contaminants. It doesn’t stop there, though.

When it comes to water quality, it’s not only the EPA and local water suppliers job to protect our water! We, as individuals, can help as well. Here are some steps you can take to help protect your local water source:

• Recycle, reuse or put in the garbage
• Put only water down storm drains
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean off your driveway
• Pick up after your pets
• Never put medications down the drain or toilet
• Choose non-toxic cleaners

Ahern provides a full-range of plumbing services to keep your water cleaner and healthier. See our services here.