Landscape for Clean Streams

The Impact of Lawns and Gardens

Lawns and gardens can either harm or help local streams. They can add pollution from fertilizers and pesticides, or they can protect our waterways.

Why This Matters

Understanding how to care for your lawn or garden is important. By choosing healthy practices, you can create a space filled with native plants. These plants attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, and help filter pollution. Taking care of your outdoor space benefits both the environment and your community.

Grow Healthy Lawns

Landscape with Native Plants

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FAQs

How do Harmful Algal Blooms Affect Drinking Water Quality?

Harmful Algal Blooms that produce cyanotoxins can happen in water used for drinking. If these toxins are not removed during water treatment, they can be harmful to people if found in tap water above certain levels. Algal blooms can also cause taste and smell issues in drinking water, like an earthy or musty odor. However, these smells and tastes are not harmful to your health.
If a Drinking Water Advisory is Issued, is the Tap Water Safe for other Uses other than Drinking?

Given the current scientific understanding, it is unlikely that showering, bathing, washing hands, doing laundry, etc. in tap water with cyanotoxin levels near or below the Health Advisory will be harmful to human health. However, infants and young children under the age of six should be supervised while bathing and during other tap water-related activities to prevent accidental ingestion of water. You may also accidentally consume water that is used to prepare or wash your food, make beverages or make ice. If a drinking water advisory is issued, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends using alternative water sources for these activities as well as using alternative water sources to make infant formula.

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