August is National Water Quality Month

 STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH

All of God’s Creation

Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, August 24, 2025

“There are easily thousands of factors that can have a negative impact on the quality of our local water sources ranging from industrial pollutants like metal particulate, oils, and other chemicals to the pesticides we use in our own backyards.” (Friends of the Wissahickon, 8/14/25)

One pervasive group of chemicals are PFAS – “a group of nearly 15,000 synthetic chemicals that are … used widely in a range of industrial and common consumer products since at least the 1950s. These forever chemicals are largely unregulated, difficult to destroy, and accumulate in people, wildlife, aquatic life, and the environment. A growing body of scientific research has linked PFAS to alarming public health outcomes and negative impacts on ecosystems…. 

In the United States, PFAS have been detected in at least 45% of tap water and is estimated to be in the blood of 97% of people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences….” (Waterkeeper Alliance, 6/30/25) 

The potential for toxicity is particularly concerning when it comes to children, according to epidemiologist and pediatrician Philip Landrigan. “The rapid proliferation of these chemicals coincides with an alarming rise in noncommunicable diseases, which are the leading causes of illness and death among children today.” (Alix Hackett, Boston College Magazine, Summer 2025) 

Yet, “earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to weaken national limits on toxic PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in our drinking water.” Urge Congress to protect our waters now. (Waterkeeper Alliance, 6/30/25)   

“National Water Quality Month [also] reminds us to take a moment to consider how important freshwater sources such as the Wissahickon Creek are—not just as drinking water for humans, but also as habitat for the wildlife that lives in and around it. By thinking about the little things that you do on a daily basis that could have a negative effect on water quality, you’ll be one step closer to making a difference.

Things You Can Do at Home to Protect Your Water

1. Wash your car at a car wash.

2. Pick up after your pet—animal waste is full of nitrogen which can remove oxygen from the water leaving it completely unusable for aquatic life.

3. Don’t hose down your driveway, use a broom.

4. Don’t use fertilizer made with phosphorus.

5. Do not flush expired or unwanted medication down the toilet.

6. Learn how to properly dispose of leftover paint.

7. Take used oil or antifreeze to a service station or recycling center.

8. Avoid using antibacterial soaps or cleaning products in your drain as they are also toxic to marine life.

9. Get a rain barrel to collect rainwater from Rain Check.”

(Friends of the Wissahickon, 8/14/25)

Comments on this column may be directed to the Social Justice Committee at socialjustice@holycrossphl.org. Click here for column archive.