What can you do to make a positive difference in Portage County's groundwater quality and quantity?  

You can help through individual actions, group actions, the political process, and/or education.

Agricultural Practices

• apply research studies about improved or new agricultural technologies or practices
• grow crops that require little or no fertilizer and pesticides
• properly store and apply manure
• properly store, use, and dispose of hazardous materials and chemicals
• reduce the use of fertilizers
• reduce the use of pesticides
• irrigate during morning and evening hours
• rotate crops
• use nutrient management practices
• use Integrated Crop Management (ICM) techniques

Chemical and Hazardous Material Use:

• properly store, use, and dispose of household cleaners
• properly store, use, and dispose of hazardous materials such as paint, pesticides, and other chemicals
• use environmentally friendly cleaning alternatives

Conserve Water: 

• don't let the water run while washing dishes or brushing your teeth
• fix leaking faucets or toilets
• use water-saving devices
• wash full loads of laundry
• water your lawn in early morning or at night

Get Involved and Stay Informed:

• attend public meetings on groundwater and other environmental issues
• attend workshops, conferences, and training sessions
• join an organization/club dedicated to protecting the groundwater resource and/or environment
• participate in and/or organize volunteer projects
• take political action by voting, attending public meetings, writing letters to your editor and elected officials, participating in committees 

Septic System:  

• consider installing a nitrate removal system to reduce the amount of nitrate leaching into the soil
• don't dispose of hazardous materials, like paint thinner, down the drain
• properly locate, construct, and maintain septic systems
• when building a new septic system, consider new designs that reduce nitrate levels entering the soil

Waste Reduction:

• participate in your community recycling program
• compost kitchen, yard, and crop waste
• reuse containers

Wells:  

• don't clean chemical storage or application devices near the well
• don't mix or store chemicals near the well
• properly locate, construct, and maintain  wells
• properly seal abandoned wells
• test your water annually

Yard Maintenance Practices:  Lawn care and landscape practices can help create a healthier yard, reduce the need for chemicals and watering, and protect groundwater quality by decreasing runoff and leaching.

• avoid or reduce the use of fertilizers; if necessary use water-insoluble nitrogen (WIN), which is released slowly, in sandy soils
• avoid or reduce the use of pesticides
• leave clippings on the lawn to provide nutrients and reduce weed growth
• mow grass to no less than three inches to reduce weed growth and plant stress
• plant native vegetation species suitable for soil type, light, and moisture conditions
• plant a variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers
• surround your planting beds with an edging or border to help control erosion and runoff
• test soil to determine lacking nutrients
• use mulch in planting beds and gardens

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