WATER COME FROM?
The water you get from your faucet can come from two places - from the water in lakes or rivers (this is called surface water), or from water that comes from wells (this is called groundwater). Many people in this area who live in large cities or towns get their water for drinking from lakes and rivers. But, most people in Canada get their drinking water from groundwater.
Why is drinking water important?
All plants and animals, including people, have to drink water. If they don't drink enough good, clean water, they will get sick, or can even die. But our water isn't always clean enough. Sometimes it has germs and chemicals in it. So, we have to clean the water up before we drink it so that it doesn't make us sick.
What does the government do to
protect your drinking water?
The government does much of the work to make sure that your drinking water is safe. The government does many things to protect the water, like helping farmers stop pesticides and fertilizers from getting into the lakes, streams, rivers and groundwater. They help people protect the land around their wells to make sure that nothing happens on the ground that might pollute the groundwater under it that they drink.
Did You Know....?
- 97% of the water on earth is in the oceans
- Only 3% of the water on earth is freshwater.
- About 2.4% of the water on earth is permanently frozen in glaciers and at the polar ice caps.
- About 1/2 of 1 % of the water on earth is groundwater.
- Only about 1 out of 100 or 1% of the water on earth is in the rivers and lakes.
- It takes 39,090 gallons of water to make a new car, including the tires.
- Over 17,000,000 houses use private wells for their drinking water supply.
- A person can live about a month without food, but can live only about 1 week without water.
What Can You Do to Help?
There are many small things you can do
to protect your drinking water in a big way!
Use "environmentally friendly" products now available in your supermarket and drugstore.
Don't dump hazardous products into drains
Don't use pesticides or other hazardous materials in your garden
Don't forget about water quality – even when you're having fun.
For example:
- 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.
- 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 away from any water source. Use only biodegradable soaps.
Conserving Water (Not Wasting it) in the home:
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