Protecting Groundwater With 7 Easy Steps

The saying is: "Out of sight, out of mind." It’s a statement that seems to hold true for many aspects of life, even our groundwater. If we don’t see it, if it isn’t right in front of us, then we don’t have to think about it, worry about it or care about it. Of course, this is simply a lie we tell ourselves, because, let’s be honest, there are a lot of other things on our minds each day. The reality is, even if it’s out of sight and out of our minds, it (whatever “it” may be) is still there. And, like our groundwater, its extremely important.

Each day we go about our daily tasks — watering lawns, maintaining yards, driving to work, washing cars — rarely giving any thought to what kind of impact our actions have on what is right beneath our feet. We’re not talking about roads, gravel, cement, grass or even soil. No, it goes deeper than that.

“It” is our groundwater supply.

As we continue to live in drought conditions, the conversation is often focused on water conservation, as it should be. However, what good will it do us to conserve our limited resources if we aren’t protecting them in the process? Fertilizers, chemicals and all manner of waste pose a serious threat to the quality of our subsurface water. Groundwater is our best storage and source of water that we all consume.

The great news is, it’s not too late for you to make a difference. Here are few simple ideas of things you can start doing right now to be a more responsible steward of our groundwater here in Utah.

• Apply proper amounts of lawn and garden fertilizers to prevent seepage into water sources. Better still, try going with an eco-friendly fertilizing option instead.
• Reduce the use of home and garden chemicals. Try these chemical-free weed killing alternatives.
• Remember – we all live downstream and you can control what goes down the storm drains.
• Store and dispose of hazardous materials properly.
• Take your vehicle to the car wash when it needs a cleaning or consider using organic home-washing options.
• Maintain your vehicle – leaking fluids make their way onto the roads and eventually into our water supply.
• Consider switching to a smarter irrigation system that gives you total control over your watering, 24/7 from any location.

Protecting our groundwater doesn’t need to be complicated. Simple, everyday changes make a difference. Just remember, even though “it” is out of sight doesn’t mean it should be out of mind. When you’re ready to make the switch to SmartRain, get in touch with us.