Water Quality Month: Clean Water for All

August is Water Quality Month, highlighting the importance of maintaining clean and safe water. Even though 70% of Earth's surface area is covered in water, less than 1% is fresh water available for human use. Understanding this fact is the beginning of appreciating and protecting our water.

This event reminds us to reconsider our relationship with water and educate ourselves about related challenges. Read on to learn more about why we should preserve this vital resource.

Quick links: National Water Quality Month

Why Water Quality Month Matters

We drink water every day, and learning where it comes from is just the beginning. Its quality must also be scrutinized. Unfortunately, clean water remains out of reach for many, perpetuating disease and malnutrition within vulnerable societies.

Industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and reckless disposal pollute major water bodies like rivers. This contamination threatens human health, ecosystems, and biodiversity, especially marine life.

Investment in water and sanitation differs regionally. However, it can be profitable, presenting returns between $3 and $34. Furthermore, climate change exacerbates water scarcity through droughts and storms and contaminating freshwater reserves. Hence, Water Quality Month carries profound significance.

Data and Statistics

Despite constituting a mere 2.5% of global water, freshwater is our main source for human consumption. It is split between water buried underground (30.1%), glaciers/ice caps (68.7%), and other surface water like lakes and rivers (1.2%).

According to the United Nations, 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safely managed drinking water services. Alarmingly, one in four drinks contaminated water with fecal matter, leading to diseases like cholera, typhoid, and polio.

In the United States, more than half of the country's rivers and streams are in poor biological health due to high phosphorus and nitrogen levels. Particularly, 51% of US waterways do not meet appropriate water quality standards under the Clean Water Act.

How to Maintain Good Water Quality

• Regularly test the water in your home to monitor contaminants, bacteria, and other harmful substances.
• Consider investing in a robust water filtration system.
• Avoid using harsh chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers in your garden.
• Adopt low-flow fixtures and fix those leaks in your home.
• Avoid putting other things but water down your storm drains, for they carry water to local waterways.
• Avoid flushing expired or unwanted medication down the toilet; these drugs have toxic chemicals that could pollute nearby waterways.
• Be mindful of your household’s water usage to conserve water.
• Lobby policymakers to create regulations, programs, and infrastructures to minimize water pollution and improve access to drinking water.

Brief Timeline of Water Quality Month

Conclusion

Water Quality Month highlights the crucial task of preserving water. Millions globally grapple with clean water access, which is worsened by pollution and climate effects. Hence, we need to conserve water in daily routines and collectively protect this resource for future generations.

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