While we here at Advanced Filtration work with a lot of manufacturers, industry, power companies, biotech, and the like, we are also normal everyday people who live in New Jersey and are engaged with the well-being of our planet. Which is why, when we’re looking at topics such as the safety of groundwater, we think of it both on an industrial/professional level, and on a personal and residential level. To that end, we’re going to discuss a wide variety of issues regarding groundwater, and how to keep it clean and safe–and why that is so important.
Water covers a whole lot of the Earth. In fact, it exists in cracks, crevices, and beneath the earth’s surfaces where we wouldn’t even think to look. It makes up most of the human body and is vital for all living things.
This just further proves just how important clean water is. It becomes apparent how important water quality is during the warm months where everyone is out enjoying our beautiful lakes, oceans, and rivers. If you’re looking to have an impact on your water quality, here are some ways you can be a part of the solution.
Why Is Groundwater Important?
Very often, groundwater is referred to as the great hidden resource. This nickname usually conjures up picturesque rivers, lakes, and pure, pristine water. However, the reality of groundwater is quite a bit different to that.
Groundwater is more like water sitting within a saturated sponge. It moves ever so slowly through the earth’s cracks and crevices where it is always able to be replenished. In fact, did you know that the majority of fresh water available is groundwater?
Groundwater is an extremely important source for our drinking water as well as our streamflow. While most of our groundwater supplies are kept, they are still vulnerable and threatened due to human neglect and general carelessness. Now, let’s take a look at some facts and fictions about our groundwater.
Facts and Fictions About Groundwater
Facts:
- The use of groundwater can exceed supply and, in turn, dry up streams and wells
- Groundwater is very rarely able to move more than a few miles and if it does, it takes a few years to flow that far
- It can easily be polluted, like all water
- Groundwater flow is able to be investigated and determined
- Groundwater is recharged locally from precipitation falling on the surrounding land areas
Fictions:
- Groundwater is completely inexhaustible
- Groundwater is able to move long distances within the earth
- Groundwater moves in unknown and very strange ways
- Spring water is pure 100% of the time
- Groundwater comes from underground rivers
How You Can Keep Groundwater Safe
If you’re ready to protect groundwater and keep it safe, here are 8 ways that you can do exactly that. Let’s take a look.
1. Don’t Hose Off the Driveway.
If your driveway is dirty, sweep it to keep it clean instead of using the house like many people do. Even when washing your vehicle, make sure you use a commercial car wash whenever you can to avoid cleaning it at home. When chemicals from your car wash run down your driveway and reach your storm drain, they flow straight into streams and lakes.
This then contaminates the streams and lakes that we are trying hard to protect.
2. Don’t Flush Medications
To ensure the safety of our groundwater, make sure that you never flush old or unused medications down your sink, toilet, or bath. These pipes can often lead back into a general water source which then gets contaminated with the medications that you’ve flushed. Try searching for a local take-back location to dispose of your medications.
Medications are among the biggest culprits when it comes to our groundwater being contaminated.
3. Remember to Pick Up After Your Dog
While it may seem like common sense, picking up dog waste is very important. When it rains, water picks up the excrement particles from your pet. This can easily be distributed into lakes, streams, rivers, or other bodies of water.
Nobody wants that. Make sure you pick up after your pets consistently, otherwise you could be contributing to the contamination in our groundwater.
4. Educate Yourself
Take some time out of your busy schedule to educate yourself about what is actually in your water, the quality of your current water, and how you can improve it. At this point, knowledge is power. The more knowledgeable you are about groundwater, the bigger a difference you can make.
It is important to remember that water sustains our life. It is vital to human existence. Being aware of your water habits and taking the necessary steps to ensure that your water remains clean is the main goal here.
5. Be Aware of Litter
We all know that littering is a big no-no. However, to go a step further in the fight to keep our groundwater safe, you should try to keep an eye out for litter wherever you go. Whenever possible, pick it up and dispose of it in the correct way.
Piece by piece, you will be changing our world and continuing the fight to keep groundwater safe.
6. Follow the Instructions on Your Chemicals
Things like fertilizers and pesticides can definitely be helpful when used effectively. However, you should always avoid overusing them whenever possible. The chemicals from them can quickly travel through runoff solid and water which, in turn, contaminates groundwater.
Follow the instructions on the label as carefully as possible to ensure the best outcome. If possible, avoid using chemicals wherever you can.
7. Join A Clean Up Initiative
If you want to go above and beyond to ensure the longevity of our groundwater, be proactive why joining a local or national clean up initiative that works specifically on groundwater. This is the perfect way to give back and become involved.
It is also a great way to get out of the house and reset your mind. Enjoy the benefits of being outdoors while keeping our groundwater safe.
8. Stay Phosphate-Free
Join the fight to save our rivers and lakes by choosing nontoxic household products as well as phosphate-free items such as detergent. By staying phosphate-free, you will be positively affecting our groundwater.
Why You Should Care About Groundwater
Although many people don’t realize it, groundwater directly affects our use of water in many ways. That is why an understanding of groundwater is important as it helps clarify all of those issues we face. Groundwater is absolutely critical to maintaining consistent water levels in water bodies.
The adequate recharging and infiltration of groundwater during rain events is also important when it comes to maintaining crucial water levels that need to be consistent. The world relies on our groundwater. If our groundwater is no longer able to be used due to how polluted it is, animals and humans with both suffer the consequences.
Nobody wants to speak about what would happen to our world afterward. We won’t need to think about this if we act now.
The Bottom Line
Much of the water we use in our day-to-day lives comes directly from the ground. You should try as hard as possible to learn more about the extreme importance of groundwater, how we treat it, the threats to its safety, and what we can all do to protect its sources for the rest of our lives.
Water really is one of the world’s most precious resources. People use water every single day for things such as cooling, drinking, recreation, bathing, agriculture, medical uses, and manufacturing. Although water does play a highly essential role in our everyday life, many people clearly don’t realize this.
It is important that people know just how much of our water comes directly from the ground. Without healthy ground water, the world as we know it would be directly affected. Humans and animals alike would deal with severe consequences.
As the world grows and continues to evolve, Advanced Filtration is at your service for all of your industrial filtration needs. Call our friendly team today at 732-901-6676 today for a free quote. We are always here to help with your filtration needs.
