Page 122 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2022

HEALTHY LIVING FOCUS ON
WATER
Water Quality Awareness Month
story by Luke Height
Living on the Gulf Coast, you never know what’s in those murky waters. It can be a gator, dolphin, whitefish, shrimp, or even the loch ness monster! All jokes aside, it’s water quality awareness month. That means it’s a good time to learn about where our water comes from and some key details we need to know. After all, water is life and without it we’d all be dead.
When it comes to our water supply, it’s important to know where it comes from and what we can do to help keep our drinking water clean. In the Gulfport/Biloxi area, our water comes from the Miocene Aquifer. The Mississippi State Department of Health oversees that our water here is kept clean, safe, and up to date with EPA health regulations. Before making its way to our faucets, it takes a stop at a water treatment facility where it goes through a process of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. This whole process is done to ensure that your water is safe and clean.
Living somewhere that deals with powerful forces of nature unlike any other, things happen and it’s possible for our water to be affected. In this case, a
boil water ordinance, a public health advisory, or directive will be issued by governmental or other health authorities to consumers when the community’s drinking water is (or could be) contaminated by pathogens. When this happens, it’s important to follow protocols and make sure to boil and disinfect your water before using it to eliminate any illness or disease that may be traveling with the water.
122 | August 2022
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TIPS TO KEEP OUR
COMMUNITY’S WATER SUPPLY
CLEAN AND CLEAR:
Properly dispose of hazardous products.
Use and dispose of harmful materials properly.
Join in a beach, stream or wetland cleanup.
Prepare a presentation about your watershed for a school or civic organization.