It's easy to help Long Island's water in 2019
2019 doesn’t have to be “New Year, Same Problems.” While the task of making a list of New Year’s resolutions you can actually stick to may seem daunting, there are some easy ones worth seeing through. Think about the bigger picture and add protecting Long Island’s water to your list. It is the basis of what makes this place we call home so special. Long Island’s sole source aquifer provides our drinking water and serves as a major draw for tourism, fisheries, and our economy. It also needs our help and protection. Here are our nine resolution suggestions for 2019!
This year, I will...
1. Do my part at home to keep Long Island’s water safe by safely disposing of medications, using natural fertilizers on my lawn, and reduce the use of common household contaminants.
2. Pick up after my pet to prevent their waste from ending up in our local waterways.
3. Spend more time at the beach because: ___________ <why do you love the beach?>
4. Reduce, reuse, refuse single-use plastics and other items that end up on our beaches and in our waterways in an effort to keep Long Island beautiful. When I can’t reduce, reuse, or refuse, I will recycle.
5. Make my voice heard by holding local elected officials accountable and telling them they need to protect Long Island’s water today.
6. Encourage others to protect Long Island’s water as it is something we all have in common and cannot live without!
7. Spend more time on the water responsibly with family and friends.
8. Conserve water by turning off the tap while I brush my teeth, only running the dishwasher when it is full, taking shorter showers, and use EPA-certified Watersense fixtures.
9. Join the Long Island Clean Water Partnership!
Also, if you live in Suffolk County, check Reclaim Our Water to see if you qualify for Suffolk County’s septic rebate programs. Then, change out your old septic system for a new advanced treatment model to help protect Long Island's water even more. Have ideas of your own? Share them with us on Facebook and Twitter. Happy New Year!