The Blue Thumb Program shows us how to take better care of our water resources. Each day we are confronted with scores of decisions that affect drinking water. We have the opportunity to make a water decision every time we reach out our hand to turn on the tap and every time we notice a dripping faucet, see a business running its sprinklers on a rainy day, buy toxic cleaners, put fertilizer on the lawn, choose to buy recycled paper products, or read about a public meeting on local land use. We can make a difference if we practice the Blue Thumb basics of conserving, protecting, and getting involved. Each of us has a role in keeping water safe to drink.
Water is the most common substance found on earth.
In 1989, Americans dumped 365 million gallons of motor oil or the equivalent of 27 Exxon Valdez spills. About two thirds of the human body is water. Some parts of the body contain more water than others. There are more than 200,000 individual water systems providing water to the public in the United States. Public water suppliers process 34 billion gallons of water per day for domestic and public use.