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.
Featured in: August - Awareness Months, Days & Observances.
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 services2. Alarmingly, one in four drinks contaminated water with fecal matter3, 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 Act1.
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.
Related Read: How to Reduce Water Waste at Home.
Brief Timeline of Water Quality Month
The United States passed the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States recognized August as National Water Quality Month.
The EPA launched the "Clean Water Act" to regulate the discharge of pollutants into the nation's lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and coastal areas.
The United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March as World Water Day, increasing global awareness of the need to protect water quality.
The European Union adopted the Water Framework Directive to improve European water quality.
The United Nations launched the "Water for Life Decade" (2005-2015) to promote efforts to fulfill international commitments on water and water-related issues.
The EPA introduced the "Beach Act" to better protect public health at America's beaches through improved water quality standards and beach notification systems.
The U.S. Congress introduced the Clean Water Restoration Act to protect the nation's waters.
The United Nations declared access to clean water and sanitation a human right.
The United Nations included clean water and sanitation in its Sustainable Development Goals.
The EPA and the Army proposed rescinding the 2015 “Waters of the U.S.” rule, which expanded federal jurisdiction over certain bodies of water to support economic growth and minimize regulatory uncertainty.
The United Nations emphasized the importance of universal access to clean water.
The US Congress introduced the Clean Water for All Act to protect water resources and ensure everyone can access clean water.
The EPA reaffirmed its commitment to clean water, highlighting the importance of water quality during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
August is National Water Quality Month, according to the United Nations.
The United States is among the countries with a safe drinking water supply.
The Clean Water Act aims to mitigate poor water quality by setting regulations to control pollutant discharges into U.S. waters and establish quality standards for surface waters.
In several areas nationwide, the water infrastructure has become obsolete and is on the brink of failing due to chronic underinvestment.
| 1 | Environmental Integrity Project. (2022). The Clean Water Act at 50: Promises Half Kept at the Half-Century Mark. |
| 2 | UN-Water. (2024). UN World Water Development Report 2024. |
| 3 | UN-Water. (2023). UN World Water Development Report 2023. |
Mike is a degree-qualified researcher and writer passionate about increasing global awareness about climate change and encouraging people to act collectively in resolving these issues.
Fact Checked By:
Isabela Sedano, BEng.
