Water's Ten Most Wanted
One of the toughest parts of serving the public water sector is in finding ways to get the public to take a sense of ownership in the protection of water quality. As we understand, utilities can only do so much to treat and distribute safe and desirable water.
Much of the work of protecting source water quality begins with steps people can and should take at home. Of course, industrial and agricultural uses can have a huge impact on source water quality. But, for the most part, public water utilities reach a larger number of household customers than anything else. That means we need to take our message directly to them as best we can.
To help you do that, here are ten suggested messages you could take to the public -- enough for one a month, with room for you to add a generic message about water conservation in the summer and a holiday greeting in the winter. These are messages you could add to newsletters, bill-stuffers, monthly statements, websites, Facebook pages, or Twitter accounts. If you're more ambitious, you could use these ideas as stepping stones to reach out to local media -- newspapers, television stations, and radio stations are all potential allies in the effort to get the public to take notice of water-quality issues.
We'll use a theme here of "Ten Enemies of Good Water Quality", but you can certainly tone it down or change the message to suit your local community.
Public Enemy #1: Geese
What's the problem? They're obnoxious, obviously. But they also pollute directly into urban ponds.
What's the public doing wrong? The public really doesn't understand the impact of nutrients, and goose droppings provide a highly visible example of the problem of waste and runoff.
What do we want them to change? The public needs to understand the nutrient-pollution relationship. We want people to recognize nutrient-overloaded bodies of water in their own neighborhoods, and then use that understanding to see how nutrient overloading works in the bigger scheme of things.
Public Enemy #2: Dogs and cats
What's the problem? America has a huge number of pets (70 million dogs and 74 million cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association). Those pets relieve themselves of an enormous volume of waste.
What's the public doing wrong? Plenty of jerks don't clean up after their pets when they relieve themselves outdoors. Pet waste gets on your shoes, but it also washes into storm drains. Pet waste is highly concentrated, and it contaminates storm sewers, streams, rivers, and creeks.
What do we want them to change? Recognize that domestic pets like Fido and Fluffy aren't "just like" wild rabbits and deer. Household pets eat concentrated food and create concentrated waste. We need them to see that cleaning up after pets and disposing properly of their waste is an important way to protect our water.
Public Enemy #3: Trees
What's the problem? Leaves and yard waste get into storm sewers and create nutrient problems.
What's the public doing wrong? People dump grass clippings in the street and blow leaves into the storm sewers. This organic matter breaks down and adds nutrients to the water.
What do we want them to change? Mulch yard waste back into the soil and collect leaves and yard waste for composting. Save the nutrients for use in gardens and lawns, not our waterways.
Public Enemy #4: Lawn fertilizer
What's the problem? Runoff from over-fertilized lawns puts nitrogen and phosphorus into source water.
What's the public doing wrong? Dumping too much fertilizer on residential lawns in pursuit of golf-course perfection, fertilizing at the wrong time, cutting grass at the wrong height, and watering like idiots.
What do we want them to change? Fertilize efficiently, water efficiently, and accept that a picture-perfect lawn is not a sane goal.
Public Enemy #5: Spray-applied pesticides
What's the problem? Spray feeders and nozzles on garden hoses create a huge backflow risk. Too many members of the public almost willfully ignore the risk of backflow from our chemical-happy habits.
What do we want them to change? Learn that backflow prevention is primarily for their own protection. Recognize the hazards of putting water supplies in close contact with dangerous chemicals.
Public Enemy #6: Aging pipes
What's the problem? Old pipes passing through contaminated areas can introduce chemicals to drinking-water systems, especially when low-pressure events create passing vacuums at joints.
What's the public doing wrong? Blindly imagining that water infrastructure is free and lasts forever.
What do we want them to change? Recognize that investing in water infrastructure protects public health and has no substitute. Paying to adequately maintain and upgrade our water infrastructure is a smart investment in their own health and well-being.
Public Enemy #7: Prescription drugs
What's the problem? Pharmaceuticals are going through people and finding their way into source water. Some of this is inevitable, but it does not help when people over-use antibiotics or take their medications incorrectly. It gets worse when they flush unused or expired drugs down the toilet.
What do we want them to change? Use antibiotic soaps and cleaners sparingly and sensibly (note that the FDA is making this mandatory anyway), and dispose of used or expired pharmaceuticals through proper channels. Use take-back programs and special collection events to keep pharmaceuticals from contaminating the water supply.
Public Enemy #8: Fresh paint
What's the problem? Household users put all kinds of contaminants (like paints, stains, and solvents) down the drain. Many people wash brushes and rags and drain the waste straight into the sink.
What do we want them to change? Think before you flush (or send it down any drain). Use hazardous waste cleanup days to dispose of old paints, varnishes, and similar materials, and use non-water methods of cleanup. A small amount of kitty litter goes a long way towards keeping non-biodegradable liquids out of the water.
Public Enemy #9: Sidewalk/driveway salt
What's the problem? Aggressive measures to clear snow and ice from roads, sidewalks, and driveways ultimately sends salt into receiving streams.
What's the public doing wrong? Salting the ground like a super-sized order of French fries.
What do we want them to change? Think more carefully about the use of salt, sand, and grit on pavement before dumping them mindlessly. Use a little bit of elbow grease and a chipper when you can so that you do less damage when you absolutely have to put down ice-melting chemicals. Whatever lands on pavement almost always ultimately finds its way into the water.
Public Enemy #10: Cars
What's the problem? Oil leaks, gasoline spillage, and car washing in the driveway at home.
What's the public doing wrong? Creating non-point-source pollution with careless oil changes, sloppy fill-ups, and inefficient household car washing.
What do we want them to change? Realize that everything that spills on the ground flows downstream.
What do we want them to change? Use dedicated car washes. Dispose properly of used motor oil. Take care not to spill any automotive fluids on the ground.
Conclusion
You may not realize it, but you have a wide range of tools at your disposal to spread the word about protecting water quality. Consider:
- Bill stuffers
- Messages on monthly statements
- Advertising and PSAs
- Newspaper columns
- TV and radio interviews
- Parades (yes -- driving a street sweeper in a parade is public outreach!)
- Open houses
- Internet presence (in three parts): Website(s), Facebook, and Twitter
- Luncheon talks (lots of community groups are looking for new speakers)
Safe drinking water really is everyone's business, and that means public buy-in is required. You're in the best position to make the case to help people see these 10 problems (and more!). People are motivated by a sense of ownership, so help them feel like they own their water supplies from source to disposal.
There is a lot the public needs to know. If you're looking for ways to get started, contact your Public Information Committee for assistance, or feel free to contact me directly.
