August has historically been a month in which government, nonprofit, advocacy and private entities involved with water quality have raised awareness of the importance of protecting the quality of arguably our most important collective resource: water. We have blogged about water issues before, such as our focus on healthy groundwater earlier this year.
At Brayton Purcell LLP, we represent people harmed by negligent or illegal activity resulting in water contamination by dangerous chemicals like the gasoline additive MTBE. The harm suffered by our clients and others from water pollution fuels our passion for advocating to prevent further harm to this precious resource, necessary for life itself.
A dangerous time for water quality
Our water resources face a new assault from federal officials, such as the recent Environmental Protection Agency or EPA proposal to delay standards the Obama administration issued to curtail coal-plant-generated releases of pollutants like heavy metals into our water supply, reports Clean Water Action.
In addition to collective efforts to resist these kinds of government actions, each of us can contribute to water health in a myriad of ways, including:
- Do not put unneeded or expired medication down the drain or toilet.
- Use nontoxic cleaning products.
- Pick up litter along shorelines or coasts.
- Clean up pet waste from your yard.
- Minimize the amount of pavement on your property.
- Avoid antibacterial soap and detergent containing phosphate.
- Do not use pesticides in your outdoor environment.
- Use organic lawn fertilizers like grass clippings.
- Do not dispose of anything in storm sewers.
This month we urge awareness and action to improve water quality and prevent further contamination through personal and collective actions.
