Below your feet are pockets of underground water reserves. These are responsible for supplying communities with utilities and balancing the environment. However, recharging them with natural rain cycles is challenging when pollution and overconsumption threaten their stability. There are many small and big actions you can take to help them stay filled and clean.

Embrace Permaculture Principles

Permaculture encourages self-sufficient ecosystems and communities. It attempts to replicate natural processes so resources stay in comfortable supplies. You and your neighbors can work together to adopt the 12 permaculture design principles into your lifestyles, some of which include:

• Using and valuing renewable resources and services.
• Producing no waste.
• Using small and slow solutions.
• Using and valuing diversity.

You can use rainwater harvesting or swales to support local water systems with permaculture in mind. These recycle large quantities of water without relying on groundwater extraction.

Support Regenerative Agriculture

You can have a small backyard garden and still embrace regenerative agriculture’s ideals. Strive to restore the land as much or more than can be taken away from it. Most farming practices are exploitative and sap ecosystems of resources, for the purpose of trying to grow as much as possible.

The same is true for water. Groundwater reserves are empty because of excessive farming, and soils can’t absorb water as effectively because of fewer nutrients. Prioritize water recycling, composting and organic farming to alleviate burdens from stressful farming practices.

Adequate maintenance practices are also crucial for supporting regenerative agriculture goals. Everything from sprinklers to irrigation systems can have leaks that waste tons of water. Ten percent of homes lose 90 gallons daily from leaks, which stresses reserves further.

Be Mindful of Microplastics and New Pollutants

Microplastics are everywhere. An estimated 240,000 pieces float in a liter of bottled water alone. You interact with microplastics daily, and most times, they go unnoticed. They get into crops if they enter waterways, leading to potential health problems in addition to wildlife destruction.

You can do your part to reduce the amount you produce. Some of the most effective and accessible ways include:

• Washing synthetic clothes on the proper settings.
• Reducing bottled water consumption.
• Limiting single-use plastic items.
• Using water filters.

Microplastics are only one of many novel pollutants. They are more pervasive than people could have imagined, so staying up to date on current information about these subjects can keep awareness sharp for the future.

Advocate for Green Infrastructure

Natural cycles make water renewable in a way, but infrastructure wastes and contaminates it over time. It remains a scarce resource, as a minimal 3% is freshwater, with more stores being inaccessible in ice caps.

The planet and treatment facilities have to go the extra mile to purify and cleanse water as more pollutants get into underground reserves. Professionals have to use high temperatures and chemicals, like chlorine, to remove harmful bacteria and stop health problems in citizens. Infrastructure is the foundation for quality water management and preservation, and you can support it by speaking with representatives and voting in relevant elections.

The best green infrastructure for naturally cleaning and saving water includes fixtures like green roofs, permeable pavers and urban forests. These redirect water to aquifers and nourish the soil simultaneously.

Properly Dispose of Medications and Cosmetics

Common bathroom products are some of the most dangerous to clean water. Household items like disposable contacts, medications and hair products contaminate sink, toilet and shower water constantly.

If you have products with questionable ingredients, dispose of them in collection sites, or the trash, to lessen their spread through waterways. After this, you can transition to cleaner household and bathroom products that don’t use polluting or dangerous ingredients. You can also shop for refillable or multipurpose products to prevent additional waste, plastics, toxins and dyes from influencing water quality.

Reduce Your Salt Usage

You should increase your awareness of salt use outside of your kitchen. Using it to fight winter ice on your driveway may make it easier to get to work, but it eventually gets into aquifers. Environmentalists have discovered more eco-friendly ways to combat winter woes, such as beet juice and alfalfa meal, to name a few. These take getting used to, if you want them to be as effective, but they will reduce reliance on salt.

Treatment plants struggle to desalinate water, which is why more ocean water is not viable for public distribution. Adding more to the ecosystem boosts stress on workers and infrastructure, and it may not even be fully effective enough to reintroduce the quantities into homes.

Becoming a Better Water Steward

Saving underground water stores is a global effort. Overconsumption and pollution make it challenging, but the planet has numerous ways to restore and clean itself. You should embrace these techniques as soon as possible, as they will help your community. Additionally, setting an example and spreading awareness will future-proof society in the long term, eventually changing habits and behaviors to be more considerate of natural resources.