Guard Your Groundwater (New Hampshire)
About half of the U.S. population gets their drinking water from groundwater. Not only does groundwater quench our thirst, but it is also important in protecting water quality and quantity in surface rivers and streams – during drier times, these waters are derived almost completely from groundwater supplies.
Viewer Tip: In New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, up to 50 percent of households treat waste with septic systems, which can contribute unwanted bacteria and nutrients to groundwater supplies. If you have a septic system, an easy way to prevent groundwater pollution in your area is to divert rain water runoff from downspouts and other areas away from your septic drainfield. This will prevent the runoff water from transporting pollutants from the septic drainfield into groundwater supplies as it soaks into the ground.
Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
(Source: The National Onsite Water Recycling Association, http://www.nowra.org/; New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. “Are Septic Systems up to Speed?” http://www.neiwpcc.org/sourcewateroutreach/swap-docs/fact_septic.pdf)