The water that reaches us in our homes, workplaces and schools is a critical resource. However, many of the ways we use and dispose of water can pollute it. Polluted water affects our farms, communities and health, so it is good to be aware of how we can protect our source of drinking water in different contexts with purifier water.
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Dispose of Toxic Chemicals Properly:
Household solvents, pesticides, and cleaners have all been creating water pollution problems for a long time. The water pollution problem has escalated to the point where things like sewage and industrial waste have become common sights in India. Even soap and shampoo bottles are becoming a serious issue if you consider what it takes to produce them. Disposing of these products properly is essential for the safety of the people and environment in India.
Shop with Water Pollution in Mind:
Every day, people use household chemicals and pesticides to keep their homes clean and their gardens healthy. While these items are convenient and frequently necessary, they can also cause water pollution if not used properly. It’s possible to avoid issues with non-toxic cleaners and biodegradable cleaners and pesticides.
Do Not Pour Fat and Grease Down the Drain:
Grease, fat, and used cooking oil should be disposed of in the trash or kept in a “fat jar” for disposal with other solid waste. This can cause sewer pipes to clog and back up into yards and basements spreading waste onto lawns and gardens. Solid waste should never be disposed of into any water bodies including storm drains, surface waters or creeks. The waste also contaminates local bodies of water where turtles swim to lay their eggs during nesting season.
Use Phosphate-Free Detergent and Dish Cleaner:
Cleaners are a major source of water pollution, even in small amounts. Phosphates and other chemicals can get into the soil and waterways, where they often kill fish and other aquatic animals. They also promote algae blooms, which further deplete oxygen levels in water, making it harder for aquatic life to survive.
Dispose of Medical Waste Properly:
It’s a common practice in India to dump old medicines down the toilet. This is because local sewage plants aren’t equipped to handle medicine or medication, and thus they end up in local wildlife and waterways. The hormones and chemicals in prescription drugs can cause problems for animals living in polluted waters.
Eat More Organic Food:
Organic farming helps to reduce agricultural pollution and water contamination. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers can contaminate soil, groundwater and surface water in their search for irrigation. The chemicals used to produce these pesticides are often stored on the farms, leaving hazardous waste that is difficult to manage. Sewage is also used to fertilize some crops, which produces wastewater with high levels of contamination known as sewage sludge.
Report Water Polluters:
Some of the biggest sources of water pollution are toxins such as pesticides and fertilizers. Illegal dumping is another source of water pollution, as are trash and oil spills. Large industrial facilities that discharge wastewater into rivers can cause serious contamination. Industries like mining, textiles, tanneries and paper mills also release pollutants into the environment.
Support Environmental Charities:
As many as 1 million people die annually in India from waterborne disease, and many of those deaths are due to pollution. Programs that focus on protecting watersheds and preserving natural water sources have helped reduce this statistic significantly over the last several years.
Check Your Sump Pump or Cellar Drain:
The biggest sources of water pollution in India are toxic chemicals and industrial and agricultural runoff. Sometimes these devices drain into the town’s sanitary sewer pipes. This connection dumps biological wastes, heavy metals, cleaning chemicals and more into the system. If you have a sump pump or cellar drain and aren’t sure where they drain to, you should be able to find out by checking with the city’s pollution control department.
Cut Down on Meat Consumption:
Raising livestock for meat and milk takes a lot of water to grow the grains, feed, hay and other foods they are fed as well as to keep them alive. Further, the antibiotics and solid waste both tend to end up in groundwater and rivers.