"Hey, I'm only one person, ya know? What difference can I make?" Well, a big difference! Just as one raindrop joins with many to form lakes, streams, and rivers, one action by you multiplied by all the people in your watershed can have a tremendous effect on the quality of water you see and drink. Below are some activities that can be done in our day to day lives, with little or no effort!

• Use fertilizers and pesticides per the label instructions. Use too much and it just wastes your time and money and contributes to pollution
• Dispose of household chemicals properly or store them for community household hazardous waste collections.
• Allow taller grasses and shrubs to grow between lawns and waterbodies; the extra vegetation will filter out fertilizers, pesticides, and sediment
• Use water sparingly by: turning it off while brushing your teeth; take shorter showers; use brooms instead to clean driveways and sidewalks; install reduced flow toilets and shower heads; fix leaking faucets.
• Pour only water down stormwater drains. They usually flow directly to streams and lakes.
• Inspect and pump your septic system regularly. Why wait?

For even more ideas, visit EPA's Do's and Dont's Around the Home