What can I do to improve water quality?

In the face of this planet's overwhelming environmental problems, each individual effort to protect water quality is vital. Together, individual actions can and do make a difference to water quality and the environment as a whole. You can start by taking the following actions:

Avoid hazardous household products

Most proprietary household chemicals are safe to use and are environmentally friendly, when used according to the directions on the package. However, some have a harmful cumulative effect on the environment when they are over-used or incorrectly disposed of.

• Check the label for hazard warnings. The symbols used on hazardous household chemical products are shown below:
  
  
  The warning symbols are based on shape: the more corners a symbol has, the greater the risk. Read the label to find out how to use the product safely and what precautions to take.
  
  
• Buy only those environmentally hazardous products you really need, and buy them in quantities you will be able to completely use up, so that you will not have to worry about disposing of the leftovers later.
  
  
• Use "environmentally friendly" products now available in your supermarket and drugstore.
  
  
• The federal government endorses products that are environmentally friendly. Look for the Environmental Choice EcoLogo. Products bearing this label have been tested and certified by the Canadian Standards Association. Each dove represents a sector of society – consumers, industry, and government – linked together to improve and protect the environment. The logo identifies the products that maximize energy efficiency and the use of recycled or recyclable materials and minimize the use of environmentally hazardous substances. Consumers can make informed choices.
  
  For more information, contact:
  
  Environmental Choice Program 
  Terra-Choice Environmental Services Inc.
  1280 Old Innes, Suite 801
  Ottawa, Ontario  K1B 5M7
  Tel.: 613-247-1900
  Toll free: 1-800-478-0399
  Fax: 613-247-2228
  E-mail: ecoinfo@terrachoice.ca
  
  Additional information on environmentally friendly household products and their uses can be obtained from the following and similar organizations:
  
  Canadian Manufacturers of Chemical Specialties Association
  56 Sparks Street, Suite 500
  Ottawa, Ontario  K1P 5A9
  Tel.: 613-232-6616
  Fax: 613-233-6350
  E-mail: morinm@cmcs.org
  
  Consumers Association of Canada 
  267 O'Connor Street, Suite 307
  Ottawa, Ontario  K2P 1V3
  Tel.: 613-238-2533
  Fax: 613-563-2254
  E-mail: info@consumer.ca
  

Don't misuse the sewage system

Don't throw waste down the drain just because it's convenient. Toxic household products can damage the environment and return to us through water and food.

• toss items such as dental floss, hair, disposable diapers and plastic tampon holders into the wastebasket, not the toilet – these items create many problems at the sewage treatment plant
• always use up completely (or pass on for other people to use) the unused contents of oven, toilet bowl and sink drain cleaners; carpet and furniture cleaners and polishes; bleaches, rust removers and solvents; paints and glue; and most other acid and alkali products
• save food scraps (except dairy and meat) and compost them; don't dump them down the drain
• choose latex (water-based) paint instead of oil-based and use it up instead of storing or dumping it

Don't use pesticides or other hazardous materials in your garden

Adopt alternative pest control methods, such as:

• hand pulling weeds
• snipping and discarding infested leaves
• dislodging insects with insecticidal soap or a water hose
• practising companion planting – for more information, contact:
  
  Ecological Agriculture Projects 
  McGill University (Macdonald Campus)
  Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec  H9X 3V9
  Tel.: (514) 398-7771
  Fax: (514) 398-7621
  E-mail: eapinfo@macdonald.mcgill.ca

• setting ant and roach traps instead of using chemical sprays
• applying a natural insecticide such as diatomaceous earth, available in garden centres
• fertilize with natural materials such as bone meal or peat

Don't dump hazardous products into storm drains

Storm drains empty directly into nearby streams in many areas. The contents of storm sewers are generally not processed at sewage treatment facilities and can therefore do immediate harm to fish and wildlife. Beach closures are a typical example of storm water pollution in many communities.

• DON'T pour oils, paint compounds, solvents and other products into storm sewers, onto the street, or into your driveway
• DO take them to local recycling or disposal facilities. Some communities even organize hazardous waste disposal days; contact local health and environment officers or waste disposal companies for details. If nothing comparable exists in your community, introduce and promote the idea
• DO contact your local Fire Department, which will normally accept unwanted remainders of barbecue starter fluids, lighter fluids, gasoline and furnace oils.

Don't forget about water quality – even when you're having fun

• power boats can pollute the water through gasoline leaks and spills. Consider using a sailboat, rowboat, canoe or kayak. If you use a powerboat, keep the engine in good repair to avoid leaking oil, gasoline and solvents
• if you are a cottage owner, make sure you have a proper sewage disposal system
• while camping, always bury biodegradable waste at least 60 meters (200 feet) from any water source. Use only biodegradable soaps, and take your non-biodegradable garbage with you for proper disposal

Take further action

There is more you can do!

• read up on environmental issues
• be willing to change your attitudes, behaviour and expectations
• write away for more information on environmentally-friendly products and methods
• urge and support federal, provincial and municipal action on environmental issues
• join and support local and national environmental groups that work to solve environmental problems; they are always in need of more volunteers and different talents
• boycott environmentally harmful products and let the stores know why
• attend public hearings, participate in advisory boards, address review committees, request information – as a citizen, you have these rights and should seize these opportunities
• inform your friends and educate your children

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