Post signs in your source water protection area borders to notify people that any pollution in this area can affect the local drinking water quality.
Do Use and Dispose of Harmful Materials Properly! Don't Dump It on the Ground!
Hazardous wastes that are dumped on or buried in the ground can contaminate the soil and either leach down into the ground water or be carried into a nearby body of surface water by runoff during rainstorms. You may be surprised to learn that a number of products you use at home contain hazardous or toxic substances. The truth is, however, that products like motor oil, pesticides, left-over paints or paint cans, mothballs, flea collars, weedkillers, household cleaners, and even a number of medicines contain materials that can be harmful to ground water.
Don't Overuse Pesticides or Fertilizers.
You may apply fertilizers to make your grass thick and green, flowers colorful, and your vegetable crop abundant. You also may use pesticides to keep bugs from ruining what the fertilizers have helped to produce. What you may not know, however, is that many of these fertilizers and pesticides contain hazardous chemicals that can travel through the soil and contaminate ground water. If you feel you must use these chemicals, use them in moderation.
Volunteer in your Community.
Find a watershed or wellhead protection organization in your community and volunteer to help. If there are no groups active, consider starting your own. Use EPA's Adopt Your Watershed Page to locate groups in your community or visit WIN's "How to Start a Watershed Team".
Identify Ways You Can Help Prevent Polluted Runoff from your Home, Ranch or Farm
. Check out Give Water a Hand (for students) or the National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Voluntary Assessment Programs (for farmers and homeowners) to find out how you can be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem.
Organize a Storm Drain Stenciling Project.
Produce and distribute a flyer or hanger for households to remind residents that storm drains dump directly into your local waterbody.
Prepare a Presentation about your Watershed for your School or Civic Organization.
Discuss water quality threats, including polluted runoff and habitat loss. Highlight things people can do to protect water quality, including limiting fertilizer use and eliminating herbicides and pesticides. Research your presentation using EPA's Nonpoint Source Program Pages.
Join in a Beach, Stream or Wetlands Cleanup.
Create a Wildlife Habitat in your Backyard, Workplace or Schoolyard. Download the Natural Resources Conservation Service's 28-page booklet that outlines 10 conservation projects. Or join the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program.
Sponsor a Festival in your Community to Raise Awareness about the Need to Protect Drinking Water. Find out how to organize an event using the Groundwater Foundation's guide, "Making Waves: How to Put on a Water Festival."