Trunkline Magazine (Louisville Zoo) June 2018 | Page 20

KIDS HELPING
WONDERFUL WATER
Provided by: Louisville Water Company
There’s something all around us
that is one of our most important
natural resources. We use it for
drinking, cleaning, to grow our
food, and even for play! Do you
know what it is?
It’s water! Plants, animals and
other organisms all need water to
live. But, because of cities, nearby
water sources can get very dirty
over time. We can’t just drink
any water directly from where we
find it; we have to make sure it’s
clean first.
Pollution can come from many
different sources and it is not al-
ways easy to identify exactly where
it came from. There are two types
of pollution: point source pollution
and non-point source pollution.
Point source pollution means you
can point to the source of the pol-
lution like a factory.
Non-point source pollution
means you can’t point to the exact
source of the pollution. Natural
processes like weathering and ero-
sion can send dirt, rocks, sticks and
leaves into the river. Humans can
also impact the quality of the water
with fertilizers, pet waste, salt, car
oils, and pesticides. All of these are
examples of this kind of pollution,
but there are
many more.
These pol-
lutants are
washed off
roads or carried over the ground by
rain or melting snow. The polluted
rainwater or snow runoff ends up in
streams, lakes, rivers and oceans. It
is very hard to control this form of
pollution since it covers a wide area
and many different land uses.
Unfortunately, we all contrib-
ute to non-point source pollution.
Often, we don’t even realize we
are doing it. When we drive in cars,
spray pesticides on our plants or
litter, we cause harmful chemicals
and solid waste items to end up in
our waterways.
The more particles of these items
that get into our water, the harder
it can be to clean. Plus, there are
other things we can’t see in the wa-
ter too — like germs and bacteria.
Each day Louisville Water Com-
pany employees work to ensure
high-quality, safe drinking water.
From plant operators who monitor
the treatment processes to water
quality scientists who test the water,
it’s a 24-hours-a-day operation.
These workers help to make millions
of gallons of clean drinking water
for us from our water sources. Wa-
ter is removed from the Ohio River
and then goes through a three-day
treatment process before it’s sent to
our homes and businesses that are
serviced by Louisville Water.
It’s important that we all do
our part to take care of our water
source and help keep the Ohio River
as clean as possible. Here are some
easy ways you can help:
• Pick up trash. Recycle it if
you can!
• Clean up after your pets
• Participate in a river clean up
• Use fewer chemicals when land-
scaping and gardening
• Clean up spills or leaking
car fluids
• Plant grass, trees and shrubs
in open areas to prevent water
run off
For more information, visit
LouisvilleWater.com.
Did you know?
Water is a precious resource that provides life for all living things and we must
all consider our role in protecting our oceans and waterways. Plastic, especially,
is a large factor in water pollution as micro particles from plastic waste can find
their way in our water sources, harming both people and wildlife. A great way
to reduce your plastic usage is by reducing the amount of plastic bags you use on a daily
basis. The Louisville Zoo went bagless last year at our gift shops. With 78,000 transactions,
we prevented 78,000 plastic bags from turning into environmental waste.
20 • Louisville Zoo Trunkline • Summer 2018