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Water is Constantly Recycled
Precipitation: Water vapor condenses and
falls to the earth as rain, sleet, hail or snow.
Surface Runoff: Some water runs across the earth into rivers, lakes and
seas. (It may become contaminated along the way)
Percolation: Other water sinks deep into the earth (percolates), picking up
minerals, bacteria, etc. People often think percolation filters harmful
substances from water -- but it doesn't always.
Ground Water: Percolated water -- called "ground water" -- is stored in "
aquifers," zones of porous rock, gravel or sand. This water moves very
slowly. Once polluted, ground water is very difficult to clean.
Discharge: Eventually, ground water flows into the sea -- or onto the land
as wetlands, springs, lakes and rivers.
Transpiration: Plants absorb water through their roots and "breathe" it back
into the air as water vapor.
Evaporation: Surface water, warmed by the sun, also rises into the air as
water vapor -- and the cycle begins again.
Natural Water
Natural water is not necessarily
pure. It may pick up other substances during its journey through air and
earth. These substances (some harmless and some not) include:
Mineral and salts: such as fluoride, calcium, iron and nitrates.
Organic wastes: from animals, plants and people.
Gases: such as oxygen, ammonia and carbon dioxide
Dust: always present in the atmosphere.
Microbes: such as bacteria, viruses and parasites.
New Sources of Contamination
Modern civilization has created new
sources of contamination. These include:
Fertilizers and pesticides: carried in surface runoff from
gardens and farms.
Trash: such as household chemicals, decaying matter, etc. in
roadside litter and landfills.
Motor oil and "road salt": carried in runoff from roads and highways.
Sewage: from septic tanks, cesspools and leaking pipes.
Industrial wastes: from dump sites, disposal wells, etc.
Coal and metals: from active abandoned mines.
Plumbing: if water pipes contain lead or lead solder.
Gasoline and heating oil: from leaking storage tanks.
This is where the Clinton County Health Department comes in to enforce
federal, state, and local regulations, and procedures to insure the water
you drink from public water systems is safe.
Which PWS's Use Fluoride?
Click here if you are interested in which public water systems use
fluoride treatments in Clinton County.
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What About Private Wells?
Generally, "drilled" wells are
considered the
safest for home water supplies. Hand dug wells, springs or surface water
bodies are usually not as safe as drilled wells.
Click here for an informative document on installing and maintaining
your private well.
Click here for "certified" lists of well-drillers in Clinton County.
Click
here for pictures of correct "well-caps".
Click
here for the brochure explaining Coliform bacteria in water.
Click
here for an informative document on disinfecting your well.
Can I Have My Private Well
Water Tested?
Yes, (though not required by law)
contact the Clinton County Health Department for information on how and when to have
your water tested, if you have concerns about your private well.
Click here for a list of NYS approved labs.
What Can I Do to Protect Our
Drinking Water?
Be aware: of hazardous
substance you may have in your home, and dispose of them properly. Maintain
your septic system if you have one.
Be informed: about your local water supply system, what it's doing,
and where your water comes from.
Test: Test water
regularly if you have a private well. Contact your public works department
to see the test results if you are on a municipal system.
Support: local, state and national efforts to protect drinking water.
Conservation - Using Water
Wisely
> Take shorter showers
> Install water-saving devices and appliances
> Check for leaks, and repair them
> Landscape with plants that don't require much water
> Use water from a bucket when you wash your car, and save the hose for
rinsing.
> Replace old toilets (before 1992)
Click here
for this external link to Cornell University on more conservation tips and
water calculators.
Some Questions and Answers
Is bottled water safer than water
from public drinking supplies? Unless you've been officially told otherwise,
water from a municipal system is probably just as safe as bottled water - and a lot
less expensive.
What is "hard water"? It's water high in minerals - some of which are
essential for health. However, laundry washed in hard water may not seem as
clean. Water softeners may help, but because they add sodium, they should
not be attached to water lines use for cooking or drinking.
Can home filters improve the taste of drinking water? Some can, partly
because they remove the chlorine added during treatment. Another way to
improve taste is to refrigerate tap water in a clean container. If you
use filters, maintain them carefully - they can become breeding grounds for
bacteria.
Contact Us
To receive more information or
assistance about water, call or
visit us at:
Clinton County Health Department
Environmental Unit
135 Margaret Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Tel: (518) 565-4870
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Note:
These are external web links.