How to Prevent Water Pollution: 14 Practical Ways

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Simple steps you can take to protect our water sources
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Water is one of the world's most important resources. Did you know that the average American family uses 300 US gal (1,100 L) a day? That’s enough to fill 4 large bathtubs! [1] Water pollution (when harmful substances infiltrate a water supply) is a major environmental concern, and because water is so essential for humans and the environment, it's essential that we take care of it. We spoke to conservation nonprofit World Wildlife Fund to bring you the best advice on how to stop water pollution, live a more eco-friendly life, and make a lasting difference.

What You Can Do to Reduce Water Pollution

  • Use eco-friendly cleaning products, and avoid products that contain bleach or ammonia.
  • Avoid single-use plastic to prevent build-up in water sources. Opt for reusable products.
  • Dispose of waste properly. Never pour chemicals, oil, or paint down drains.
  • Avoid using pesticides and fertilizers, and stick with organic gardening solutions.
  • Conserve water. Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth and take quicker showers.
Section 1 of 4:

The Dos & Don’ts of Reducing Water Pollution

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  1. You might be able to make a bigger impact on a local level. Corporations that allow industrial waste to seep into waterways are the biggest culprits of water pollution. There are regulations to prevent this from occurring, but it's still a common occurrence. Find out if there's a certain factory or energy plant in your area responsible for polluting local waterways, and speak up about the problem. [2]
    • Learn about local and national laws against water pollution and donate or become a member of organizations, like World Wildlife Fund , working to protect water in your area. [3]
    • Voting for political candidates who strive to protect waterways is a great way to do your part to reduce pollution.
  2. You can take the same actions at work or school that you'd take at home to reduce water pollution. Look into the policies at your workplace or school and find out if there are changes you could help create a pollution-free environment. Kellogg emphasizes that involving classmates, teachers, and coworkers is a great way to educate others and make a difference. [4]
    • For example, you could recommend that your office or school switch to eco-friendly cleaning supplies and make suggestions as to which ones work well.
    • You could also put up signs reminding people to conserve water in the bathroom and kitchen areas, like reminders to never leave the sink running.
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  3. Using toxic chemicals like bleach and ammonia to clean your home can contaminate the water supply. So, switch to natural cleaners and cleaning methods to lessen the amount of toxins and pollutants you use. [5]
    • Common household supplies like white vinegar and baking soda can be used for everything (from washing windows to scrubbing bathroom tiles), and they’re completely non-toxic.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a list of cleaning products (as well as a variety of other products) that are considered “green,” meaning they won't pollute the water supply. So, use it as your guide to environmentally friendly cleaning!
  4. Never pour something that isn't biodegradable down the drain. When it is necessary to use something toxic, such as paint or ammonia, take care to dispose of it properly. Kellogg advises that if you're unsure how to get rid of something to check your local government's website or waste management company. [6] The following materials should never be poured down the drain: [7]
    • Paint
    • Motor oil
    • Cleaning solvents
    • Ammonia
    • Pool chemicals
  5. Use a local “take back” program for safe medication disposal. Medication is made with various substances that can be harmful to the water supply. Local “take back” programs allow you to turn in medication so it can be disposed of properly and without any risk of contamination. [8] That way, it won't end up back in the drinking water, where it can harm people and animals.
    • Talk to your pharmacy about how to safely dispose of your old medications.
  6. Instead of flushing trash down the toilet, throw it away. Flushing items that don't break down—like diapers, wet wipes, and plastic tampon applicators—can cause problems in the sewer system. These items can end up in local streams, rivers, and other bodies of water, where they can harm fish and other wildlife. [9]
  7. Conservation is an important way to help preserve water as a global resource. Treating water so it's clean enough to drink and use around the house requires a lot of energy, so it's important to conserve as much as possible, especially in areas where droughts are occurring. Adopt the following habits to conserve more water around your home: [10]
    • Take showers instead of baths, as showers use less water.
    • Replace shower heads with water-efficient shower heads designed to use less water. [11]
    • Turn off your faucets when you’re not using water, such as when brushing your teeth.
    • Avoid overwatering your lawn to save water.
    • Use a broom instead of water to clean your driveway.
    • Water your garden before the sun comes up or after it sets, as you’ll have to use more water during the hottest times of the day. [12]
  8. Since it isn't biodegradable, plastic often ends up collecting in water sources. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, for example, is a huge vortex of trash, mainly plastic, that has collected in the ocean. [13] This trash endangers marine life and contaminates human drinking water. Whenever possible, use glass or cloth containers instead of plastic.
  9. These chemicals seep deep into the ground and get into the groundwater below. Contaminated groundwater can have a negative effect on the environment as well as the people who depend on it. Groundwater makes up 51% of the US’s drinking water and 64% of the irrigated water used to water crops. [15] So, if the groundwater is contaminated, the drinking water and crops will likely be too. Switch to natural methods for getting rid of pests and weeds to help protect groundwater reserves. [16]
    • Look into organic gardening practices to find creative ways to deal with garden pests. For example, many pests can be dealt with using a simple dish soap and water solution.
    • Planting native species can also help, as native species have developed a resistance to the pests and weeds in the area. Species native to other lands are more susceptible to disease as well.
  10. Cars that leak oil and gasoline play a big part in polluting groundwater. Making sure your car is up to date on all its repairs and isn’t leaking any fluid can help make a big difference. So, get your car regularly tuned up and repair any leaks as soon as they occur. [17]
    • In addition, don't forget to dispose of motor oil properly instead of washing it down the drain. Bring motor oil in a secure container to a recycling center. To find a center near you, search your location using RecycleSearch.com . [18]
    • Get your tires inspected at an auto repair shop at least once a year. Tire shreds are a major pollutant in the world's oceans because they often wash into storm drains and waterways.
    • Kellogg strongly recommends using a biodegradable soap when washing your car to prevent chemicals from getting into the groundwater. [19]
  11. Having a lawn is beneficial for the environment and water supply. When a house is surrounded by concrete patios and other surfaces, chemicals pool and run off into the groundwater instead of getting distributed in the soil. It might be tempting to pave over your yard so you don't have to deal with mowing the lawn, but it could have a negative impact. [20]
  12. When soil gets eroded and ends up in streams, rivers, and other waterways, chemicals that exist in the soil mix with the water and create problems for plant and animal life. For example, when phosphorus levels get too high in a body of water, they lead to algae blooms that can kill fish populations. The plants' roots hold the soil in place and keep it from falling into the water, so preventing erosion helps protect wildlife. [21]
  13. Do contain and compost yard waste. Yard waste that sits around can easily wash into storm drains when it rains. Even if the waste doesn't contain chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides, large quantities of sticks, leaves, and grass clippings can overwhelm waterways with unhealthy quantities of nutrients. [22]
    • Contain your compost in a bin or barrel to prevent the materials from being washed away.
    • Use a mulching mower instead of bagging grass clippings. Mulching mowers add a natural layer of compost to your lawn without needing to dispose of grass clippings.
    • If you don't compost or have yard waste you can't compost, contact your local waste management or environmental protection agency to determine how to dispose of it.
  14. If you live near a local body of water, there's a lot you can do to help reduce pollution. Always pick up trash near the water, and look for opportunities to volunteer to clean up local beaches, lakes, rivers, or oceans. [23]
    • If you can't find a local group working to reduce water pollution in your area, you might be just the person to start one! Consider hosting a cleanup day. Set a date, publicize the event, and have a plan for collecting and disposing of the trash.
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Section 2 of 4:

What is water pollution?

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  1. Water is typically polluted when chemicals or microorganisms are spilled, poured, or dumped into a stream, river, lake, ocean, or other water source. The harmful substance degrades the water quality, making it toxic for humans, wildlife, and the environment. [24]
Section 3 of 4:

What causes water pollution?

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  1. Plastics, waste, pesticides, and fertilizers are culprits of water pollution. The more we use chemicals and non-degradable resources, the more water pollution there will be. The most common causes of water pollution include: [25]
    • Agricultural contamination: Fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste can wash into waterways and pollute groundwater.
    • Sewage and wastewater: Used water from sinks, showers, toilets, and storm drains can put oils, grease, chemicals, and debris into waterways, even after being processed or recycled.
    • Oil pollution: Spilled oil and gasoline can find their way into groundwater and waterways.
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Section 4 of 4:

What are the effects of water pollution?

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  1. Drinking contaminated or polluted water can be detrimental to human health. Disease-causing bacteria from human or animal waste is a leading cause of cholera, giardia, and typhoid. And drinking polluted water isn’t the only risk. Swimming or bathing in contaminated water can cause rashes, respiratory infections, and hepatitis. [26]
  2. When a water supply is polluted, the ecosystem suffers. Think about it: every living thing relies on water to live. Without a clean source, some organisms essential to the ecosystem cannot thrive. Polluted water disrupts the food chain and limits local biodiversity. [27]
    • For instance, say a lake is polluted. The contaminant may cause the lake’s ecosystem to produce more algae and phytoplankton, which then reduces water quality. Because of the changing water quality, fish can die, and if the fish die, the birds that eat the fish will either die or try to travel somewhere else for food (which will then disrupt the flow of another established ecosystem).
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    How do I bathe or wash in a body of water without polluting it?
    Donagan
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    Strictly speaking, it's not possible. Even if you didn't use any soap or other cleansing agent, your skin oil and other contaminants would enter the water.
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    Because they're lazy and uncaring and would rather just drop their garbage wherever they are than look for a place to throw it away.
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    How can we save water?
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    Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. This can save 6 liters of water per minute. Place a cistern displacement device in your toilet cistern to reduce the volume of water used in each flush. You can get one of these from your water provider. Take a shorter shower. Showers can use anything between 6 and 45 liters per minute. Always use full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher. This cuts out unnecessary washes in between. Fix a dripping tap. A dripping tap can waste 15 liters of water a day, or 5,500 liters of water a year. Install a water butt to your drainpipe and use the water collected to water your plants, clean your car and wash your windows.
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      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • You can help by picking up every single piece of trash around you to solve the problem of land pollution and also soil pollution, which can lead to water pollution. And maybe you can educate your family, friends, or even acquaintances on this topic. By doing this, you could help solve the problem of land and soil pollution.
      • Limit how much asphalt, brick, concrete, cigarettes, alcohol (vineyards), and hair/clothing dyes you use. These are the biggest wastes of water!
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/watersense/how-we-use-water
      2. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners/how-you-can-help
      3. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-water#wetlands
      4. ↑ Kathryn Kellogg. Environmentalist. Expert Interview. 28 June 2019.
      5. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners/how-you-can-help
      6. ↑ Kathryn Kellogg. Sustainability Specialist. Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.
      7. ↑ https://raleighnc.gov/stormwater/services/spot-report-and-stop-water-pollution/6-ways-prevent-water-pollution
      8. ↑ https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know#prevent
      9. ↑ https://www.nrdc.org/stories/6-ways-you-can-help-keep-our-water-clean
      1. ↑ https://www.cityofdubuque.org/DocumentCenter/View/400/EPA-Water-Pollution-Prevention?bidId=
      2. ↑ Kathryn Kellogg. Sustainability Specialist. Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.
      3. ↑ https://www.nrdc.org/stories/6-ways-you-can-help-keep-our-water-clean
      4. ↑ https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-pacific-garbage-patch/
      5. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/plastics/what-you-can-do-reduce-plastic-waste
      6. ↑ https://groundwater.org/what-is-groundwater/
      7. ↑ https://groundwater.org/threats/contamination/
      8. ↑ https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know#prevent
      9. ↑ https://www.dep.pa.gov/Citizens/RecyclingDisposal/MotorOil/Pages/default.aspx
      10. ↑ Kathryn Kellogg. Sustainability Specialist. Expert Interview. 11 July 2019.
      11. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners/how-you-can-help
      12. ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/the-role-of-trees-and-forests-in-healthy-watersheds
      13. ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/yard_waste_practices_impact_water_quality
      14. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection/how-can-you-help-protect-source-water
      15. ↑ https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know
      16. ↑ https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know
      17. ↑ https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know
      18. ↑ https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know#effects

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To reduce water pollution, use natural cleaners like vinegar and baking soda in place of toxic chemicals like bleach and ammonia. Additionally, avoid using pesticides and herbicides in order to prevent groundwater contamination. If you need to dispose of old medications, look into local “take back” programs instead of flushing them down the toilet, where they can end up back in the drinking water. Additionally, avoid flushing non-biodegradable items like diapers and wet wipes, since they can harm fish and other wildlife when they end up in lakes and rivers. For more advice, including how to reduce water pollution by using pesticide and herbicide alternatives, keep reading.

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