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Water is essential to all of us. We need it for nearly every aspect of our lives. To a great extent, our quality of life depends on having a plentiful supply of clean, fresh water to serve our many needs.
Here in the Perkiomen Creek watershed we are blessed with an excellent quality water supply that is generally plentiful. But we tend to take our water for granted. Currently, there are more than 15 distinct water companies operating within the 362 square mile watershed. In addition, there are thousands of individual wells. Local water suppliers estimate that we use approximately 75 gallons of water per person per day. So the Perkiomen Creek and the associated groundwater supply need to provide millions of gallons of clean & tasty water every day. So far, we have been very lucky!
But our water supply is jeopardized by two main issues: non-point source pollution and poor stormwater management.
Non-point source pollution includes all of the substances that wash off the land when it rains - excess fertilizer, pet and livestock wastes, oils & other things that drip from our vehicles and substances that get dumped into storm drains. Rainwater picks up these substances and washes them into our creeks and streams where they impact aquatic habitats as well as water quality.
Poor stormwater management not only increases the chances of localized flooding but it short-changes our water supply by sending our precious precipitation out to sea! Precipitation is the only water available for recharging our groundwater supplies. So when we rush our water to a storm drain or basin and directly into local creeks, our groundwater supply looses that water forever.
The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy has been helping communities preserve their water resources for more than 40 years. As we approach our 50th Anniversary, our goal is to help you become a Perkiomen Protector, too! Each one of us has the ability to positively impact our supply of clean, potable water. Through small changes in our daily activities, we can improve the quality and protect the quantity of our water supply.
The Perkiomen Pledge is one small way we can each make a difference! Here are "10 Things I Can Do to Protect My Water Resources" and the Perkiomen Pledge. The "10 Things" are aimed at reducing the non-point source pollutants that reach our streams and increasing the amount of stormwater that infiltrates into the groundwater system. The Perkiomen Pledge is your public statement that says you take your water supply seriously and are willing to take action to protect it. Print out the "10 Things" and keep them on your fridge.
The glass of water you save, may be your own!
Join those who have pledged so far:
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