Questions and Answers About Your Water

How can I help prevent pollution of drinking water sources?

Properly dispose of the chemicals you use in your home. Every chemical you buy has the potential of polluting the environment if disposed of improperly. Try to buy environmentally acceptable alternative products and, to minimize waste, buy only what you can use. Many larger cities have a hazardous waste disposal department. Check with it if you have disposal questions. If you change the oil in your car yourself, find out from your city, state, or provincial environmental agency how to properly dispose of the used oil.

Remember, if your home is served by a sewage system, your drain is an entrance to your wastewater disposal system and eventually to a drinking water source. Discharges from septic tank drain fields may pollute groundwater. Treat your wastewater system with respect.

Excerpted from Plain Talk About Drinking Water by Dr. James M. Symons. For answers to more of your drinking water questions, buy the book at the AWWA Bookstore .