• Alex Shelton
• My Blog

Easy Things You Can Do To Protect Drinking Water Sources

Put up signs

Post signs along the border of your source water protection area to notify people that any pollution in that area can affect the quality of local drinking water.

Use and dispose of harmful materials properly

Don’t dump hazardous waste on the ground. It can contaminate the soil, which could also contaminate the groundwater or nearby surface water. A number of products used at home contain hazardous or toxic substances that can contaminate ground or surface waters, such as:

• Motor oil
• Pesticides
• Leftover paints or paint cans
• Mothballs
• Flea collars
• Household cleaners
• A number of medicines

Don’t overuse pesticides or fertilizers. Many fertilizers and pesticides contain hazardous chemicals. These can travel through the soil and contaminate groundwater. If you feel you must use these chemicals, please remember to use them in moderation.

Volunteer in your community

Find a watershed or wellhead protection organization or a source water collaborative in your community and volunteer to help. If there are no active groups, consider starting one. Use the Source Water Collaborative’s How to Collaborate Tool Kit to get started.

Join in a beach, stream or wetland cleanup

You can make new friends while you help protect source water.

Prepare a presentation about your watershed for a school or civic organization

Discuss water quality threats, including the dangers of polluted runoff and habitat loss. In your presentation, highlight actions people can take to protect water quality, such as limiting fertilizer use and eliminating the use of herbicides and pesticides.

Organize a storm drain stenciling project

Stencil a message next to the street drain. This will remind people not to dump waste into a street drain because the water drains to the river. Use simple images and words when stenciling to help make the connection, such as:

• Fish
• Lakes
• Streams
• Bays
• Groundwater
• Oceans
• “Protect Your Water” logo with the image of a glass and faucet

You can also use stencils to produce and distribute a flyer to your neighbors. Remind residents that storm drains dump directly into their local water source.

• Alex Shelton
• My Blog

2021 Monofilament Fishing Line Recycling Project

The Friends of Waterbury Reservoir is committed to protecting and preserving the wildlife that shares this amazing resource with us. In recent years, we have noticed a lot of fishing line and tackle discarded carelessly at access areas, and in foliage along the shoreline. This material has the potential to cause injury or even death to our birds and aquatic mammals. This potential for harm became a reality in 2020 when a cormorant became entangled in discarded fishing line on the reservoir. The bird faced a slow and painful death by starvation, but our hero Ranger Chad Ummel managed to catch the bird and free it from its entanglements.

Visitors to the reservoir have been enthralled by our eagles, loons, herons, and more…each of which faces the same risks as the rescued cormorant. In Vermont, numerous loons have had to be rescued from fishing line in the past few years, and one recently was severely injured by a discarded lure. We looked for a way to prevent any bird or animal tragedies on the Waterbury Reservoir. We decided to take the approach of offering a safe and easy way for anglers to dispose of unwanted fishing line, and to institute a campaign emphasizing the dangers posed to wildlife by improperly discarded fishing line and tackle.

In other states, monofilament line recycling bins have been installed at popular fishing sites. BoatUS Foundation provides plans for such bins, as well as stickers and signage to be placed near their locations. (https://www.boatus.org/clean-boating/recycling/fishing-line-recycling/) FWR thought this might be a good project for us! We received approval from Vermont State Parks to install the bins at 3 locations, on a trial basis. We all had concerns about vandalism and improper use of the bins for trash disposal and agreed to check the bins a few times each week.

• Alex Shelton
• My Blog

5 QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK BEFORE INVESTING IN A HOME WATER PURIFIER

Have you thought about purchasing and installing different types of water purifiers in your home? Many people find that they improve the quality of life around the house and allow them to make better use of their water supplies. As you continue to think about what water purifier to buy, ask these five questions. The answers will help you decide which water purifier is the best one.

Do I Need a Water Purifier? Why Water Purifiers are Important?

Some people believe that water filters andwater purifiers are not all that important. Water purifiers point toward the efforts made by the local municipality to supply water that is suitable for consumption. Without minimizing the efforts made by your local community, the fact is there is more to clean water than what happens at those huge purification stations.

Factors like the residue found in your home plumbing can also affect water quality. If you have a home water purifier, you can remove that residue and enjoy water that tastes better and is better for you.

Those who rely on water from wells or a local pond or lake should also consider installing some type of water purifiers. Regular checks of the water itself will reveal what sort of contaminants are present. That information will help you decide what water purifier is best for your need.

How are Water Purifiers Certified?

The Standards Council of Canada uses specific ANSI/NSF standards to certify best water purifier systems. There are six standards in all for water purifiers, with each one relating to softening, distilling, and purification treatments and systems. In order to certify specific devices, the Council has authorized three certification bodies: Underwriters Laboratories, NSF International, and CSA International. The latter is specifically authorized to issue certifications for drinking water treatment units related to health effects and aesthetic effects.

Remember that you only want to buy a water purifier that is properly certified. Anything lesser will not provide the benefits you want and is likely to not hold up well to ongoing use.

Will I Need to Take Mineral Supplements If I Use a Water Purifier?

There are those who believe it’s necessary to purchase and take mineral supplements if you install a water purifier and filter. The logic behind that belief has to do with how much mineral content is removed from the water. In fact, most people obtain most of the vitamins and minerals they need from food.

If you follow a balanced diet, the relatively small amount of healthy minerals removed from the water will make no difference. What will happen is that you will no longer consume other contaminants that may be interfering with your body’s ability to effectively absorb minerals from your food.