Description

Learn how the water works ensure our water is clean and learn what you can do to improve the water quality.

Transcript

Learn about California's Circulatory Water System Part 6/7 Lisa McRee: It’s clear to see that in the grand sense of things water is power both economic and political but for most Californians the primary concern is that the water which comes from the tap is clean and pure. To ensure that our water is safe and healthy, it goes through quite a process before arriving at our homes. It’s an intricate system that we tend to take for granted. Celeste Cantu: We look at water as something that God gives us, it flows down and the rain and we always expect it to be pure and sparkling, and we take a lot for granted. But in fact a lot of work goes into making that water safer humans to drink and to keep our streams safe and healthy for fish and for humans to swim in and enjoy. Lisa McRee: Our supply is constantly being tested and treated and as new contaminants emerged state and federal standards continued to evolve to ensure our water’s quality. Male: As we improve our technology so that we can measure contaminants, pollutants that at a much lower level and we previously thought as we understand more about the effects of different compounds, chemical compound on our health whether it’s long term or short term. Lisa McRee: Treating our drinking water is really the second step in water—the first is curtailing the introduction of harmful substances before they reach the water supply. Our everyday activities contribute to the water pollution problem. Taking the dog for a walk and not cleaning their waste, going outside for a smoke and tossing the butt into the street only to be washed into the storm drains with thousands of other butts. We wash our cars or change the oil and the dirt and grease go down the gutter and into the storm drain. We like a lush green lawn so we spread fertilizer to help it grow. All these substances can end up in our rivers and estuaries. Celeste Cantu: People don’t think about that very often and they don’t realize, they think water just comes out and it goes down the drain and God knows where it goes after that, but it goes back to the river and the next town has a big pipe and it sucks it out at the river and treats it for our domestic consumption. So if you can imagine that every piece of bacteria and every piece of oil or every spot of—grows downhill and that drop of water that’s rolling accumulates all that pollution until it hits the estuary, the impact is tremendous.