Learn What You Can Do to Protect Long Island Drinking Water
Long Island drinking water and Long Island surface water share a vital connection. On Long Island, underground aquifers store our only source of fresh Long Island drinking water for Nassau and Suffolk Counties. An aquifer is an underground geologic formation, composed of permeable rock, that has the capability to store and transmit water. These aquifers are not static; they slowly flow from high ground to low, recharged by rainfall, and they supply the majority of fresh water entering our streams, lakes, and bays.
This means, that every action we take on land not only has the potential to impact Long Island drinking water, but also Long Island surface water. Contaminants we introduce on the land’s surface, like nitrogen from wastewater and fertilizers, pesticides, and toxic chemicals, make their way into our aquifer system and then into our bays, harbors, lakes and streams. These contaminants are causing a lot of problems for our local environment.
We all must make a concerted effort to reduce our impact on land, to protect and restore Long Island water quality. Find out what you can do at home to protect our water here.
Want to learn more about how you can help us protect Long Island’s water? Sign up for the Long Island Clean Water Partnership’s email list today!