Water pollution poses a hazard to everyone on the planet. We often think of agricultural pesticides or industrial contaminants as polluting our waterways, but the truth is, your at-home habits play a role, too.
By doing your part to stop water pollution at home, we can ensure that Hoosiers across the state will have access to clean drinking water for years to come. You can do your part to keep Hoosier waterways clean by following these water pollution prevention tips at home.
Tips for Preventing Water Pollution
Everyone can contribute to help keep our local waterways clean of pollutants and contaminants, as well as persistent and dangerous chemicals. Keep reading to learn how you can play a role.
- Never pour fats, oils or grease down your drains.
- Do not flush household chemicals or cleaners down the toilet or dump them down the drain to dispose of them. Doing so will create chemical pollution and lead to contaminated water. Instead, take them to an approved disposal location or local household hazardous waste recycling event or drop-off site. To find more information on your local solid waste management district, visit https://www.indianahhw.org/.
- Never dispose of any type of medication down the toilet – medications should be disposed of in their original marked packaging at an approved location.
- Don’t flush unnecessary items down the toilet – it’s not a trash can.
- Limit use of your garbage disposal. Throwing items in the trash or composting them is the proper disposal method to keep most solids out of the water supply.
- When washing dishes or clothes, use only the minimum amount of bleach or detergent. Make sure you are using phosphate-free detergent.
- Use pesticides, insect sprays, fertilizers, and herbicides sparingly and according to manufacturer instructions.
- Never pour toxic chemicals or automotive fluids into the storm drains or dump them on the ground.
- Never litter. When you see trash around your home, be sure to pick it up and dispose of it properly.
- Prevent runoff from draining into sewers by using porous ground coverings when possible. Gravel, wood, pavers or pervious concrete will help to mitigate stormwater runoff.
- If you have a septic system, keep it properly maintained. Have a professional inspect your system to see that the tank is in good shape and all wastewater is draining appropriately.
Indiana American Water Is Committed to Water Quality
At Indiana American Water, our commitment is delivering clean, high-quality water to Hoosiers across the state. We’re playing a role in decreasing water pollution by investing in wastewater treatment and infrastructure to remove contaminants and harmful chemicals, and keep them out of our water sources. Click here to learn more about our initiatives.