(NAPSA)—If you have a house- hold water well, you depend on ground water. If you don’t have a water well, you still depend on eround water in many ways. Either way, here are some things you should know about ground water from the National Ground Water Association. Ground water makes up more than 90 percent of the available fresh water in the world. Because it is so widespread, nearly half of Americansrely on ground water, either from private wells or community water systems. Not only that, ground water supplies 58billion gallons a day for agricultural irrigation. It also feeds 492 billion Drink (water) to your good health gallons a day to surface water with well-maintained water well systems. If you own a well, consider Use water wisely, whether you own a well or not. There is no shortage of ground water nationally, but demand on local or regional basis can create water bodies such as rivers, lakes and streams. getting an annual well mainte- nance check and watertest. Private well owners are responsi- ble for making sure their water supply is safe, so regular maintenance and water testing for bacteria, nitrates and anything else of local concern is important. If you don’t own a well, you still have a responsibility to protect ground water. Improper storage or disposal of hazardous household substances can pollute eround water. These include house- hold cleaners, herbicides, pesticides, antifreeze, fertilizer, paint, paint thinner, oil and other chemi- cals. What you dump on the ground, pour down the drain or throw in the trash could end up in the ground water. Store hazardous household substances in secure places using proper containers. If possible, dispose of such substances at hazardous waste drop-off sites. scarcity. It only makes sense not to waste water. e Fix leaky toilets or faucets to save thousandsof gallons of water a year. Use water-efficient appliances. Use low-flow showerheads and water-efficient toilets. e Avoid wasting water on the driveway, sidewalk or street when watering outside. Run the dishwasher only whenit’s full. Consider other ways to recy- cle or conserve water. To learn more about well maintenance, water testing, ground water protection and con- servation, visit the National Ground Water Association’s Web site www.wellowner.org.
