Solution
1.Enforce Existing Laws
One of the first solutions to water pollution is pretty simple tell your politicians to enforce existing laws.
When a politician touts his new anti-pollution bill that he claims will clean up the environment, it means little if they continue to allow existing laws to go unenforced.
Tell your politicians what you think. Encourage them to enforce existing laws such as the Clean Water Act.
Beyond enforcing laws, there are some practical steps that we can take as individuals to limit the pollution in our neighborhoods and cities.
2. Stop Nutrient and Pesticide Pollution
If you are putting “normal” fertilizer, pesticides, and other chemicals on your lawn or in your gardens, you are contributing to the pollution problem.
While you may find these products helpful, much of their volume is being washed off your lawn and into the nearest waterway.
They also tend to degrade the quality of your soil, causing more and more reliance on the chemicals over time.
For ideas on how to have a nice lawn without polluting our waterways, check out this article on organic lawn care.
3. Drive Less
Nitrogen deposition from air pollution is a big part of the nutrient pollution problem.
How much we drive, how large a vehicle we have, and many other factors contribute to how much pollution we are putting out individually.
Be conscious of the emissions that your car spews out and keep your car well maintained. Think about leaning towards a hybrid or electric car if you drive a lot of miles every day.
Use public transportation more often. Our government pays a lot of money to put these public systems in place.
Driving less is something we can all do better at, and all of the relatively small differences each person makes will add up when summed across millions of drivers.